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Tomato Problem
SandLake
Posts: 23
in Fruit & veg
I know it is still quite early in the season but I am having the most successful season in the last 3 - but it is not withoutr it's problems.
I think I am suffering from a nitrogen deficiency, I have taken some photo's and would like some advice as whether I am right or wrong?
I have fed them with Tomorite and trimmed of the worst off the brown leaves. The is the second time I have fed them and will increase that over the next fews days.
Am I on the right track?
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I thought from the first photo that they ooked scorched (wet leaves in sun), but the second photo looks more like tomato mosaic virus.
I don't think its nitrogen deficiency.
My immediate thought was the same as yours Fidgetbones, and my second the same too
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?PID=250
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I don't like the sound of that, definitely not wet leaves in sun. Sounds like I need to clear out my greenhouse! All I have planted (this year) are grafted plants which are supposed to be disease resistant.
SandLake, it's not a nitrogen deficiency. I'm not sure that it's TMV either. The best way to check for TMV is to look at the newer, younger leaves. It usually produces a mottled mixture of light and dark green on the leaf surface. Easy to see if it's present.
The fruit looks healthy too. TMV will affect the fruit.
Disease-resistance only means that a plant will, supposedly, last longer with the disease than a non-resistant plant. It doesn't mean a plant won't get the disease.
One other thing. Those small inner pots are very very small for an indeterminate variety. First thing I'd do would be to pot them up into at least a 25-30cm pot.
Here are more detailed pics of the newer upper leaves, there is a bit of mottling but not a lot.
I am keen to heed any advice that is given but I am hesitant to re-pot the plants. They have been in the halos for 5-6 weeks now so there would be significant roots down into the growbags and also a significant plant growing up out of the halo - best way would be to cut into the halo but that would cause a lot of disruption to the plant. The growbags are a good size and I have only potted 2 plants per growbag. The halo I consider to be a small mound sticking up out of the growbag, watering is down into the growbag and feeding is into the halo. My ridge height is not very high so this year I used growbags to 'start' the plant at a lower level (I also dug a small trench to get the growbag even lower)
Those photo's might have been a bit large so here they are again
it could be magnesium deficiancy. try a teaspoon of epsom salts around the roots and water in every few days. good luck.
It can also be stress? Too much difference between heat through the day and at night. Mine have suffered as we are hitting 28 through the day and its pretty cool at night. I may be wrong though.
Sandlake - re the pots. Fair enough, all I saw was the wee pots, didn't see the grow bags. Serves me right for not paying more attention. I'll have a close look at those leaf photos later.
Can I throw my problem in too!? Generally my plants look pretty healthy but in recent days the newer growth has had a pronounced droop to it, lower leaves still very green and tough looking. It's been in the high 20s/early 30s here by day for the last week or so but it still seems unlikely it's lack of water? They're in 25 litre containers and I've been watering around every 3 days. I started feeding as of yesterday and gave the feed with a good soak - but hasn't helped the droop.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated...