Tomato woes!

[Maccabee]

I have been feeding them double strength tomorite once a week

I dropped a bottle of tomato food onto the dining room floor (luckily it's laminate) and it all spilled out. If i'd have got it on the walls it would have stripped the paint. I'd be very careful with that stuff. Double strength feed of that stuff would probably be enough to send a poor little tomato plant into shock.

[Two_Sheds]

I have been feeding them double strength tomorite once a week

er, but why?

[Veggie Mackem]

I'm with creemteez on this one, if it works then great but if no improvement is seen then it may be worth loosing that top foliage to save the plant, I'm assuming that several trusses have already set so cut your losses wouldn't be the end of the world.

[Anna Stox]

hi again,

I hope this has worked! There should also be other pictures on there. Would post a link to the rest but my phone crashes everytime.

While i have fed them double strength once, before it was normal strength. I will definately revert back to normal strength (thanks for that advice, i'm glad i know now, not in 6 months time!), but i suspect that it isn't the primary reason for the problem as the plants were floppy two weeks before.

The problem really does look, to me, like it is a problem with them getting enough water, which could imply either rotted roots or too dry. Only problem with that is that i took one out of its pot the roots seemed ok. I also put a different one in a bucket filled with an inch of water, in the hope that would help. It didn't! All in all i'm stumped!

[rustylady]

In order for a bucket to soak up water properly, the compost needs to be fairly damp anyway (capillary action). If I were you, I would give all your plants a thorough watering (in several small doses) so the compost gets wet right through. Then try and get some large saucers or trays under the pots and carry on watering as normal.

[rustylady]

Can't find any pictures on your post

[Anna Stox]

Welcome to Flickr!
Hope it worked this time. Will definately try suggested approach - though as that is what i was trying to do with the one in the bucket, i'm not holding out too much hope! At least the toms that have set still seem ok!
Thanks for advice folks, it is appreciated.

[rustylady]

Found your picture. The stems holding the leaves look OK, just the leaves curling inwards. Never had this problem myself but still think it may be lack of water. You say you have tomatoes set - how do they look?

[Anna Stox]

the toms look fine thanks, and most have at least 2 trusses set.

[Anna Stox]

the toms look fine thanks, and most have at least 2 trusses set.

[Anna Stox]

the toms look fine thanks, and most have at least 2 trusses set.

[taff]

pick up the pot it's in. Does it feel light for the amount of compost in there? Stick your finger in as far as you can, is the compost dry underneath? when you water, does it run straight out the bottom again? If the answer to these is yes, they're dehydrated. it's really easy to underwater from the top, and as rustylady said, if it's completely dry, it won't suck up until it's damp again. if they are too dry, put them in a saucer, and keep topping it up with water over the course of probably a day or more, until it feels damp when you stick your finger in.

if the answer to any of the above questions was no, it's too wet. stop watering them so much

to nick a phrase...simples....

[Potstubsdustbins]

Hi everyone'

Are my eyes playing tricks or am I looking at a classic case of `leaf roll`

Anna do you get a wide variation between day and nightime temps.

Colin

[Creemteez]

I thought the same when I saw the photos, Pots, but Anna said early that the leaves are floppy. I've had plenty of leaf curl this year, but the leaves are reasonably firm. All in all I think that as long as the rest of the plant is looking healthy, the tomatoes are setting ok and the compost is damp to the "finger test" you should relax a bit and let them get on with it. Apart from the over-feeding (you can get off the naughty step now) you seem to have been doing everything right. Sometimes nature just throws us a curve ball. Keep an eye out for any dark brown/black spots or signs of the fruit going browny grey. If neither of these put in an appearance I really don't think you've got too much of a problem. Deep breath... and chill!

[Germinater]

I read about your double feed .are you feeding alot too..cos I'm thinking it could be to much feed. Liquid plant feeds have quite I high sodium content in the feed and if your feeding often and it's hot your plants are tacking in lots of water that then causes the sodium to crystallise around the roots and starve the plant of water ..I had this problem once years ago so I had to take the plants from the pots knock away the compost and I could see the salty crust around the roots .washed them in a bucket of water to get rid and repot and they were fine since then I'm always very carfull with how much liquid feed I use ..maybe try checking one and see wot the roots look like??