Tomato woes!

[Anna Stox]

Hi,
Yet again I am seeking advice!

I have several tomatoes in morrisons pots in the greenhouse. The pots each have 6 0.75cm diameter holes in them. The plants have been growing well, and most have toms on, but in the last 3 weeks the top leaves on most of the plants have drooped. I believe I have been watering them sufficently (from the top, though I have been considering putting them in trays to water from bottom) - I have also pulled one out of its pot and the soil didn't appear to be waterlogged. Any ideas?

When I thought I wasn't perhaps watering them enough I put one in another bucket with about an inch of water in the bottom but it didn't make any difference.

I had wondered whether perhaps I had killed off the leaves on one occasion, and therefore they couldn't bounce back, however, a couple of the plants have sent up new bushy shoots from the base of the plant which I have left on in case the tops don't recover - the tops of these shoots (which are about a foot high (most of the toms are three feets high) are not drooping.

aaaaaagggggghhhhhh!

any help gratefully recieved - I've tried all my books!

[rustylady]

Can you post some pictures please?

[chris]

Drooped, or are they begining to curl under?

Are you feedng them? Are they flowering yet?

[rustylady]

Drooped, or are they begining to curl under?

My thoughts precisely Chris

[Anna Stox]

Hi,

I'll get some photos later.

They are drooped rather than folded - some were curled but I suspect that was due to the colder weather a while back. They are definately 'floppy', rather than mis-shaped but firm.

They are flowering, and most have tomatoes on them. I have been feeding them double strength tomorite once a week, making sure not to water straight after (normally I water a day later).

I haven't seen any discolouration in the stems when I have taken a branch off, and they don't 'perk up' in the evenings.

[FoxHillGardener]

Why double strength Tomorite? I think you're overfeeding them. Don't know if that's the cause of the symptoms you're seeing, though

[Creemteez]

Anna I'd agree with FHG. Over feeding is just as bad - if not worse - than not feeding at all. I'd give them a break. Cut down on watering and feeding until the compost feels barely damp when you wiggle your finger in up to the first joint. Make sure you ventilate your greenhouse properly - sometimes they show they are suffering from heat exhaustion by flopping a little - so make sure you open the door of the greenhouse on bright days to create a good circulation of air.

[rustylady]

They are drooped rather than folded - some were curled but I suspect that was due to the colder weather a while back. They are definately 'floppy', rather than mis-shaped but firm.

They are flowering, and most have tomatoes on them. I have been feeding them double strength tomorite once a week, making sure not to water straight after (normally I water a day later).

I haven't seen any discolouration in the stems when I have taken a branch off, and they don't 'perk up' in the evenings.

How can they be floppy and firm at the same time, or have I misread that bit? Also, as Foxhill says you should never mess with the concentration of feeds. Always use at the recommended rate.

[Anna Stox]

thank you for the advice everyone, i'll try that. I should have actually mentioned that i only started feeding double concentration feed this week following someone else's comments on the forum that they doubled up for morrisons buckets. Is this likely to have contributed to the problem-The drooping had occurred before then? Also i have been keeping the doors open, when it's been hot, with the upper window on autovent and louvre open everyday. The plants have been droopy even when it has been cool.

[rustylady]

Please try and put some pictures on Anna. I think we're all getting a bit confused

[Anna Stox]

hi rustylady, that was meant to mean they're completely "floppy", rather than being "curled and firm" as some of the other leaves are.

[Anna Stox]

will try and get pics - main problem is i am accessing on phone as don't have internet at home and not sure i can put pics up with that!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Anna,

I wonder if it was one of my comments on feeding, if it was I am sorry to have missled you. I feed at twice the recommended rate not twice the strength. However I doubt very much if this has anything to do with your problem like others have suggested a pic would help a great deal.

Colin

[rustylady]

If they're floppy then it sounds as if they're not getting enough water - either that or they've been overwatered and the roots have rotted.

[rustylady]

Reading back, I see you've been watering from the top. This is fine if it's what you want to do, but if the compost is really dry when you water then the water you put on will simply run through. I use large pots for my toms, but I also put a plastic "saucer" under them. Only about 2" deep, but it does provide the plants with a bit of a reservoir, and if the water does run through when the compost is a bit dry then the plants get a chance to soak it back up.