# Help with growing my tomatoes



## jpmcgrew (Jul 31, 2007)

Ive been growing tomatoes for about 5 years but this year I dont know what Im doing wrong I think Im either over watering or under watering I grow them in containers in my 8x10 green house but latley the leaves are are turning yellow on the bottoms of some of the plants.A few weeks ago I trimmed of the bottom leaves thinking the plants would get a better watering.Something is wrong.Can someone tell me whats going wrong?The tomatoes look great coming up green so far and getting big but thats normal here.HELP ME.


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## Constance (Jul 31, 2007)

First of all, do you have any ventilation in your greenhouse? Your tomato plants may be getting to hot.

How big are the pots that the tomatoes in? They need, at the very least, a 5 gallon pot. 

If you are growing your tomatoes in a greenhouse, you need to check them for bugs. 
White fly and spider mites LOVE tomat

oes. You'll see the white flies if you disturb the plant by running your hand through it. Insectidal Soap will get rid of them, as long as you are sure to spray UNDER the leaves, where the eggs are.

You should also find a good magnifying glass and look under the leaves for spider mites. They look like tiny red dots, and will move if you keep your eye on them. They are extremely tiny, but multipy by about 30,000 per minute, and the mites not only suck the juices out of the plant they are on, but the they also quickly spread to surrounding plants. There are sprays you can use, but the best method is to throw the infected plant into the garbage and burn it.

I wish I had taken pictures when I had the greenhouse...If I had, I could show you just what they look like.


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## jpmcgrew (Jul 31, 2007)

I run a fan in the green house in the day and bugs have never been a problem no bugs at all (seriously no bugs) the containers are the same size Ive always used the tomatoes dont seem to suffer but the leaves concern me indicating a problem.Im thinking since I cut off the bushy leaves maybe plants dont need as much water .I just dont know.I am not a garderner but I have always been lucky with the tomatoes I grow them from seeds.


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## kadesma (Jul 31, 2007)

JP,
I think this must be happening all of the country. MY son here in California is having the same trouble and I have two plants doing it as well. At first I thought nematodes but they all would go belly up so I'm not sure at all..I may go ask at the nursery if I get the chance..But, next year, they are for certain going into a new spot in the garden.
kadesma


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## expatgirl (Aug 1, 2007)

If the leaves are yellow and the veins are green, however, then they are low in iron which you can buy in any garden shop and dilute accordingly.  Hope you find what the problem is---tomatos are nearly the price of oil in my home state. so good luck!


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## Barb L. (Aug 1, 2007)

Mine are doing the same, I just pull them off and hope for the best.  Iam getting my cherry tomatoes though.


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## YT2095 (Aug 1, 2007)

yellow leaves is a sign of Magnesium deficiency, give them some Epsom salts (MgSO4).
and don`t forget to feed with High potash food at least once a week when in flower and fruiting.


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## Jeekinz (Aug 1, 2007)

Do you mean the bottom foliage toward the roots or underneath all the leaves are brown?

The bottom most foliage on my plants dies out but the plant is still healthy and produces tomatoes.

This is my first year growing grape tomatoes. The plant I have has 3 main trunks, one of the trunks is growing pretty tall while the other two just seem to get real dense foliage on the tops. Any ideas? 








Here's my Romas, Jersey Tomatoes and Bell Peppa's.  Big difference from last year after relocating to a differnt area in the yard.


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## YT2095 (Aug 1, 2007)

dense foliage and no fruit is often indicative of High Nitrogen local to that root ball, harmless but it will need shocking into producing fruit, and the way you do that is get Very cold water in a watering can and water the foliage on a hot day (but never in direct sun).

a week later you should start getting flowers, then it`s time for high potash feeds.


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## jpmcgrew (Aug 1, 2007)

I just noticed some of the top leaves are yellow and wilting.I will double check for bugs just to make sure.ARRGH


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## Jeekinz (Aug 1, 2007)

Thanks YT, I'll try that tonight.  What do you recommend for "high potash feeds"?


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## YT2095 (Aug 1, 2007)

sulphate of potash (K2SO4), nitrate of potash (saltpetre, KNO3), BBQ ash is good too! but not too much in one go, dilute it first.

if you have the Chempack range there #8 is a good one, or just use any proprietary tomato/chili food liquid also, and follow the instructions.


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## Jeekinz (Aug 1, 2007)

Yeah....I got "BBQ" and "Tomato/chili food" outta that. 



....I'll look for the tomato food.


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## jennyema (Aug 1, 2007)

*I've got the yellow leaf thing going on, too.* 

Cut them off!

I have 18 plants going, with loads of fruit.  My cherries and grapes are ripe and my romas are almost there.  One other plant is ripening too, but I don't like the texture of the fruit (mealy).

My neighbor who is an excellent tomato man said he has lost 2 or 3 plants already.  It looks like I'll probably lose a cherry and a beefsteak in the next week or so.

I don't have bugs.  I feed the plants Miracle Grow tomato feed.

What else can I do?


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## YT2095 (Aug 1, 2007)

cutting the leaves off is only a cosmetic effect (and may help prevent rot if the cause isn`t fixed), Mg salts are the way to go, Epsom is great for this.
you Will lose the oldest leaves anyway, so those at the bottom will go 1`st.

as for the roots, feed at the top, but water from the bottom, sometimes plant pots with the base cut out and then put into soil is a great way to grow them, water the soil, but put the food in the pot, the feed roots are surface level, the Water roots are deeper.

and don`t plant them anywhere near Potatoes and certainly don`t smoke cigs around them either.


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## Uncle Bob (Aug 1, 2007)

Miss JP

Ya might wanna research Fusarium and Verticillium Wilt, as well as (Early) Blight.


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## JMediger (Aug 1, 2007)

jpmcgrew ... do you fertilize them?  That might be an easy thing to try just in case they are low in something, like others have suggested.  We give ours Mircle Grow once a week through the sprinkler and I can't believe the difference it makes.  There are a ton of good fertilizers out there ...

Also, they might not be getting enough sun in your green house.  Are the walls completely transparent?  

I don't think plucking the suckers from the bottom would be the problem as that's what we do to all our plants.

I hope you find a solution!  Of all the plants to have problems with, I would hate it to be our tomatoes!


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## Jeekinz (Aug 2, 2007)

jennyema said:
			
		

> One other plant is ripening too, but I don't like the texture of the fruit (mealy).


 
Anyone have a guess on this?  I noticed a few mealy romas myself.  All I could find was that it may be the plant.


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## jpmcgrew (Aug 2, 2007)

Uncle Bob said:
			
		

> Miss JP
> 
> Ya might wanna research Fusarium and Verticillium Wilt, as well as (Early) Blight.


Will check again although I dont think thats the problem.
Right now Im blaming DH because tomato problems only happened once before 2 years ago because he would come home and shut up green hoouse in the afternoon when it was still too hot he managed to kill off everything in there and aphids galore after several death threats he did not touch my green house last year and I had a bumper crop that year he has been doing the same thing this year except he is doing it when it clouds up I dont know why, he's not the one growing the tomatoes and has never tried to grow anything I have threatened him again promising a slow and painful death if he goes near green house again    I hope that solves my problem.
On the positive side I ended up with a few green tomatoes that fell off after I cut off all the yellow leaves and made and tasted my first fried green tomatoes,I loved them very good indeed.


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