Tom's gone floppy

[singleseeder]

Okay, so now I have your attention, I will hold my hands up to the rogue apostrophe.

However, I have lost several tomato plants over the last week or so. They germinated well, several varieties, and were potted into yoghurt pots (with decent drainage holes) and when big enough, some potted on to 500ml yog pots or 3" pots. Loads of them seem to be standing still and are not big enough to need potting on. I used Humax multipurpose compost. The poor things have been in and out of the greenhouse, depending on the weather. There are a few greenfly which I keep on squishing.

I have tried hard not to over water them. When I did water last week, I used a weak solution of Miracle Gro, in a tray, thinking the compost must have lost it's oomph by now.

The ones I have lost have just gone floppy and keeled over. There are a few roots there when I investigate.

What could be the cause? Compost? Temperature? Miracle Gro which is a couple of years old? Greenfly? I've not had 'death' like this before.

Sorry, no pics as I haven't worked out how to do this yet.

[Jeanied]

Have a look at the stem where they have flopped over. If this looks shrunken then it could be damping off. Apart from that, I have no idea!

[Maccabee]

Pictures would help. Go to post a new reply to the thread but click 'go advanced'. When the new page opens you should have a toolbar with lots of little pictures at the top of the box where you type your message. Hover over the little pictures in the toolbar til you find one that says insert image, click it and a new box appears, select 'from computer' (or URL if you've uploaded them online), 'select files' and then simply find the image on your computer.

[Creemteez]

The tomato seedlings which I pricked out into polystyrene coffee cups were not doing very well compared to the ones 'd put into proper three inch pots. When I potted them up the roots were not very strong and though the top half of the compost was very dry, the bottom half was very wet - even though I'd punched a good pencil thickness size hole in the bottom. Since they've been moved they have picked up to the point that I can't tell which ones they were. I think it's to do with drainage. Pot hem into new - proper - pots and see what happens!

[singleseeder]

Thanks for the ideas. Will try to do pictures this evening.

I also think it is something to do with the wetness of the compost. The weather has been so bad that almost no moisture is being taken up by the plants, moisture is not evaporating from the compost and in fact I am convinced the compost has been abosorbing moisture from the atmosphere! The compost certainly seems to be holding onto the moisture anyway. Perhaps, once weakened, those plants are being targeted by greenfly.

Other plants have fared better though, so it is a bit of a mystery.

[Florence Fennel]

I tried to kill nearly all my tomatoes last year by overwatering SS. Hope you get it sorted, whatever it turns out to be!

[Potstubsdustbins]

I to have had a bad year with toms. Changed compost, changed location, changed watering pattern and still ended up loosing over 50% of several varieties. I have set new seed and although growth is slow the plants look a lot healthier.

One thought I had was March like June everything got a move on. April like Feb everything got a knock back.

Colin

[Peas'n'Kews]

Okay, so now I have your attention, I will hold my hands up to the rogue apostrophe.

I am really glad you know your possessives from your plurals! I'm not Peas'n'Kews for nothing... I have an apostophe phobia, along with a deep seated hatred of folk who can't tell the difference between "few" and "less" - perhaps I should've put this on a rant thread!!!

Fraid no idea about your toms, though!

[veggiechicken]

I am really glad you know your possessives from your plurals! I'm not Peas'n'Kews for nothing... I have an apostophe phobia, along with a deep seated hatred of folk who can't tell the difference between "few" and "less" - perhaps I should've put this on a rant thread!!!

Fraid no idea about your toms, though!

Shouldn't there be a ' in front of Fraid?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Sometimes I am so glad to grammatically ignorant. That way I don't have to work it out and whats more I don't care.

Colin

[Urban]

Poor Tom sorry couldn't resist

Sounds like damping off disease
Although I lost one of my gardeners delight plants the other day, a leaf had died and fallen off, and was touching the stem, by the time I'd noticed it had rotted the stem, and killed my plant, I will have to be tidier in the future

[singleseeder]

I've taken some pics but am being told the files are too large to upload.

Some in proper pots have collapsed as well as some in yoghurt pots. However, as I had dozens of plants I should be okay. I will spread some more compost out to dry a bit as what is in the sack does seem a bit damp, then pot more plants into larger pots. Hopefully, they will get a move on then.

[singleseeder]

along with a deep seated hatred of folk who can't tell the difference between "few" and "less" -

I think I did put it on the rant thread. Few and fewer seems to be forgotten words, even on the news. It sets my teeth on edge.

[Peas'n'Kews]

Shouldn't there be a ' in front of Fraid?

Yes, there should, and I did wonder if I should correct it or just let a friendly Vine point it out! Thanks VC.

[Two_Sheds]

I've taken some pics but am being told the files are too large to upload.

It's easy to make them smaller: resizr.com