Is it too early for me toms

[AlanP]

My thermometer showed a low of minus 2.3c in the polytunnel on Sunday night and minus 1.3c last night and my toms are still alright, but it blackened some of the spuds in one polytunnel and nipped the growing tips of my grape vine in another tunnel. Quite hardy things the old toms.

[Beso]

If you have yellow leaves something is wrong. Seedlings usually have enough nutrients in the fresh compost. Are you watering from above or below. Are they getting enough light. Remember windowsills during the night can get very cold, tomatoes don't like it. Post up some photos and we can have a look. Where abouts are you?

The odd thing is the ones in the bathroom windows sill (north facing) look better than those in the south facing one, so the light thing makes little sense really.

But the ones in the bathroom were in bigger pots, generally the worst ones were in smaller posts. Some have since been re-potted.

I think they may have exhausted the nutrients available, so as well as re-potting them I have been watering with a little tomato feed in them.

So I will see if they perk up a bit tomorrow.

I will try and take some pics if I can but they generally look a bit washed out and weak with uniform yellowing of the lower leaves.

[Beso]

If you have yellow leaves something is wrong. Seedlings usually have enough nutrients in the fresh compost. Are you watering from above or below. Are they getting enough light. Remember windowsills during the night can get very cold, tomatoes don't like it. Post up some photos and we can have a look. Where abouts are you?

The odd thing is the ones in the bathroom windows sill (north facing) look better than those in the south facing one, so the light thing makes little sense really.

But the ones in the bathroom were in bigger pots, generally the worst ones were in smaller posts. Some have since been re-potted.

I think they may have exhausted the nutrients available, so as well as re-potting them I have been watering with a little tomato feed in them.

So I will see if they perk up a bit tomorrow.

I will try and take some pics if I can but they generally look a bit washed out and weak with uniform yellowing of the lower leaves.



This pic with over watering on the left looks similar

[Beso]

I am going to cut back on watering and see how it goes.

[Jonnyt]

They look leggy and need potting on deeply to my eye.
i.e. Haven't been getting enough light.

[Potstubsdustbins]

^^^^^^^^^Spot on, plus the one on the left looks to me as if it has root rot caused by over watering.

If the one on the left continues to deteriorate cut it off just above the first leaves and pop it in a milk bottle full of water, keep the water level topped up and with luck it will throw out new roots within a week or so and be ready for potting on.

As to the rest carefully cut away those horrid pots and pot on up to the first true leaves, then water from the bottom not the top.

[veggiechicken]

Message for the helpful Grapes - Don't spend too much time advising Beso on how to deal with those tomato plants - the photos have been taken from the internet and were posted several year ago. Lenore Street Garden - Oh how tomato plants are resilient. *I decided...
The two photos show the same tomato plant before and after watering

[roitelet]

Overheard in the shop yesterday "Don't plant out anything tender until after the 15May.we still have the St Glacé to go through".

BE WARNED!!!!!!!

My tomatoes won't be going in the tunnel without heat until the 19th at the earliest.

[Beso]

^^^^^^^^^Spot on, plus the one on the left looks to me as if it has root rot caused by over watering.

If the one on the left continues to deteriorate cut it off just above the first leaves and pop it in a milk bottle full of water, keep the water level topped up and with luck it will throw out new roots within a week or so and be ready for potting on.

As to the rest carefully cut away those horrid pots and pot on up to the first true leaves, then water from the bottom not the top.

Those are not my plants by the way, but I do remember now when repotting that
the roots didn't not loo too healthy ie a light brown colour.

So that seems to be the problem damaged roots, dunno if they will recover or not.

At least I am aware of the problem, they look no worse today anyway.

I will be laying off the water and keeping an eye on them.

[Scarlet]

If they look as leggy as those plants in the photo they aren't getting enough lght either. Why don't you just post photos of your plants pointless exercise posting someone else's....

[Beso]

^^^^^^^^^Spot on, plus the one on the left looks to me as if it has root rot caused by over watering.

If the one on the left continues to deteriorate cut it off just above the first leaves and pop it in a milk bottle full of water, keep the water level topped up and with luck it will throw out new roots within a week or so and be ready for potting on.

As to the rest carefully cut away those horrid pots and pot on up to the first true leaves, then water from the bottom not the top.

Actually I was mistaken about that image I got it from here and I seem to have mis read it.

Lenore Street Garden - Oh how tomato plants are resilient. *I decided...

Oh how tomato plants are resilient. I decided that I was over watering them, so then I decided not to water them for a day. Completely logical. This morning I had a bunch of very sad plants on my hands, so I gave them a good watering then came back an hour later and they were as good as new.

So it seems they were in the same predicament as me, not sure it it was to much or to little water.

Maybe it is combination of things.

I think if the roots are damaged it may be difficult for the plant to draw up water even if there is water there.

Could also be the nutrients are washed out of the compost or the plant has otherwise exhausted the nutrients.

I will just be keeping an eye on how dry the compost is, they have been re-potted with more compost, water mainly from the bottom unless the top is dried out, basically carefully monitoring the water conditions.

[Scarlet]

If you have been watering with tomato feed there should be plenty of nutrients. It's best to put photos up of your own.

[Beso]

green

Overheard in the shop yesterday "Don't plant out anything tender until after the 15May.we still have the St Glacé to go through".

BE WARNED!!!!!!!

My tomatoes won't be going in the tunnel without heat until the 19th at the earliest.

At least some of mine will be going out earlier, on the 2nd May it is 7C + for a week so they will go out then, I won't have enough room inside so it is sink or swim time for them.

If I loose them at least I will have learned a lesson!!

[Beso]

If you have been watering with tomato feed there should be plenty of nutrients. It's best to put photos up of your own.

But I have not I only recently started that.

I will see if I can take some photos but I can't guarantee anything.

[Scarlet]

Supposed to be 6C tonight so I have put out a couple of bean plants I started early to see how they get on.

How did your bean plants do out in the cold last night?