whats happening with my tomatoes?

[flowertot]

Hi all, looking for some advice about my tomatoes. This is my second year of growing and some of my Tomatoes aren't doing very well. they have developed patchy papery splodges on the leaves. Can't see anything that looks remotely similar on the net so does anyone have any thoughts? Wondered if it was from overwatering or a disease maybe. Oh and they are inside on my windowsill at the moment.

[Creemteez]

Hi Flowertot.
Panic ye not. It looks very much like "scorch" to me. Do you splash the leaves when you water your tommies? As they are infront of a window, I expect the sun is being magnified by the water droplets and burning the young leaves. It's unsightly, but pretty harmless as long as the new growth at the top is nice and healthy looking.
Try watering from the base (into a saucer) or in the evening, giving the leaves a chance to dry off before the sun comes up in he morning.
Welcome to the vine by the way!

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine flowertot, difficult to see what's going on from the photo, I hope this site can help. Good luck.

Tomato leaf symptoms Diagnostic Key

[Potstubsdustbins]

That looks like and sounds like 'sun scald'. Exposure to direct sunlight at this time of year is the problem and the weather in March did not help. There is no treatment but with any luck they will survive. Keep them them out of strong direct sunlight, may be a net curtain between them and the glass.

Colin

[flowertot]

Ah thank you, thats reassuring advice. I had moved them from another windowsill and its only appeared since then. The windowsill they are on now gets much more direct sunlight so maybe I should move them back. Have been reading other posts and I've realised now its better to water things from the bottom and have just started to do that (only my second year of growing veg - you live and learn eh?)

[flowertot]

Thanks Colin, Yes those replies seem to make sense - I'll move them to a windowsill where the light is a little less intense!

[Two_Sheds]

I've realised now its better to water things from the bottom

Yay! Another convert

[Florence Fennel]

I had the same problem Flowertot and I always water from the bottom. The sun was so hot on my front bedroom window last week and I didn't notice until the damage was done. They were ready for potting on anyway, so I've done that and they are now in the little stayput greenhouse outside where they'll have to take their chances. Looking at them this morning, they are growing away happily and the new growth is healthy. Welcome to the Vine

[Potstubsdustbins]

Auntie Flo you don't need water on the leaves to cause this problem as you have found out. As far as I can recall its something to do with the sun overheating the 'liquid' in the leaf itself. I was only talking about it with a friend yesterday and he remark that an old buddy of his always used to say "never let direct sun on to a tom until the first truss as set"

Colin