Tomato plants

[Joeybagadonuts]

I started with a healthy organic plant amd planted it in organic soil and added organic fertilizer. It started growing fine but eventually, the leaves on the lower end started to yellow and die. I tested the soil and added lime to balance the ph. I have 4 tomotos that continue to grow burt the plant still looks unhealthy and the leaves die.

Anyone have any advice?

 

[SweetErika]

Have you tried searching to see if you can recognize the issue and troubleshoot?

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

Yes, that's why I thought it had something to do with the ph but obviously that is not the case. I can't find any bugs on the plant and I'm thinking it may be some sort of root disease.

 

[SweetErika]

I think I've had the same thing, but didn't know what it was either.

Do you have some sort of expert gardening organization in your area? I know one of the universities here has a master gardener's program that helps the public with questions like this. And/Or how about taking pictures and a leaf sample to a local nursery that deals in veggies to see if you can get some advice?

 

[Toqueme]

.....

 

[SpiritRider]

any number of things....
lack of nitrogen
infrequent or not enough watering

and if you're using tap water is it chlorinated? chlorine = bad

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

thank you all

good advice.

 

[coastal-boy]

old leaves that yellow is a common symptom of not enough nitrogen. New leaves that yellow is a common symptom of not enough magnesium. Leaves that yellow on the edges first before moving to the whole leaf is commonly water-related (too much or too little). One of the problems with high organic material is that it also leads to the potential of fungal growth on the roots...sometimes, too much of a good thing is not really a good thing

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

more good advice

thanks

 

[sunandshadow]

Yellow leaves can be a symptom of various kinds of diseases too - it's about the most common symptom of plant sickness there is. Last year there was a blight which killed a lot of tomatoes in the northwest.

BTW your username made me hungry. *wishes for doughnuts*

 

[silverwhisper]

i think one of the things i love about HT is that sometimes, you'll learn something completely new, as with this thread. :>

ed

 

[hotdicketydog]

costal-boy got it goin' on w/ his info....

 

[Joeybagadonuts]

I balanced my ph and added some organic fetilizer and I'm getting new growth at the bottom.

Hopefully all the good advice I got has helped.

thanks again.

 

[coastal-boy]

I balanced my ph and added some organic fetilizer and I'm getting new growth at the bottom.

Hopefully all the good advice I got has helped.

thanks again.

smell the soil...it should smell rich...like a spring day. The problem with high organics is that you can also get too much nitrogen and bacteria will convert it to urea. You'll know if this happens because the soil will smell like piss and the leaves will wilt and turn yellow. I did this using blood meal trying to be nice to one of my "special" plants.

 

[Olisan]

as a Gardner it is perfectly normal for tomato (and most plants) to begin to have yellowing leaves when the tomatoes (flowers) begin to form. Plants will typically drain nitrogen out of soil and adding nitrogen will fix prevent new leaves from yellowing but will not revive dead leaves. since plants that are producing flowers rarely grow much taller, adding nitrogen is largely not needed. The flowering plants use much higher ammounts of phosphorous and potassium during this stage.

Tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and a few thing less than legal all work in this way.

Fertilizing your plants when not necessary is much more dangerous than doing nothing.

 

[cuppycakes]

I had the same problem as well with my "German Johnson" (ahem) tomato plant. But all my hybrids are doing great.

So I guess I just discovered why hybrids were made in the first place

 

[kakowood]

I do go to the local Stable and colect a big bag of manure and use this as fertilizer it works wonders for me, and it is gratis, and organic...
Best of luck

Carlos

 

[thegrandchef]

If it's just the lower leaves, they may just be dying to allow the upper leaves energy to grow... natural plant process.