Comments on: Container Tomatoes

By: Erin

Erin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:17:23 +0000

OK, thanks for info. (I don’t think my last post went thru)

By: Erin

Erin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:27:30 +0000

Hi, I have better boy plants. One each in 12 inch pots. They are tall, producing yellow flowers, no fruit. They appear healty, but bottom leaves are turning yellow. I see after reading that I need to fertilize them more. My question is, do I need to transfer them to larger pots or are they okay in this size as they appear to be healthy. Also, I may put small rocks on top of soil to keep them from drying out in the heat here in NC. Thanks for any info you can give!

Hi Erin
Do not repot the tomato. You will do more harm than good. Give it fertilizer that has a higher middle # so that it will produce more fruit. Wood chips would work better to place on top of the soil. Rocks can absorb heat and keep the roots even warmer.

By: jt

jt — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 06:18:05 +0000

Watering is essential. You have to be careful watering moist roots because the leafs are curling in hot weather. I have unpotted many plants with dead dry tops but soggy roots.

I mist my plants during the hottest part of the day (over 100) and hose down the outside of the pots to cool the roots but follow the at least 1 inch dry on top soil rule before watering roots. As long as the nighttime temps are below 80 degrees the plants will be OK. Watering too much in pots creates surface roots which do not perform well. Lots of leafs and little fruit. Planting down in the pots and adding soil as the plant progresses over several weeks seems to provide a deeper root system which is essential in a potted tomato plant. Like anything in life diversify types and locations to insure at least some crop for your tomato sauce. IMO.

Thanks for the comment!

By: hlm

hlm — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:53:26 +0000

i have two tomatoes growing in containers. one is an heirloom variety, the other was a from a church sale, so i don’t know. the “church one” is very tall. both have done very well, but over a week that i was away (a friend watered) the leaves have turned yellow and spotty on the church one, and i see some yellowing and spotting on the heirloom. it seems to be working it’s way up the plant. the church one is already half way up. i can’t tell if the spots on the leaves are an external powedery substance, or discoloring on the leaves.
I did introduce worms into the pots two weeks ago, accroding to a friend’s advice to help airate the soil, which seems to have become very compacted. What do you recommend? Are they too far along to repot?

HI
I don’t think the worms are harming your tomato plants. Tomatoes do get a leaf spot – Early blight or Septoria leaf spot. Both are caused by a fungus that is present in the soil and develop in warm, rainy and humid weather. Leaf spot starts from the bottom and works its way up the plant. To keep it from spreading, remove any infected leaves avoid splashing soil on the plants and spray with an approved fungicide to control the disease.

By: Growing Tomatoes Guide

Growing Tomatoes Guide — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:50:31 +0000

Planting short season varieties tomatoes in containers is a great idea to get you the very first available tomato of the season! Container gardening is an excellent choice for gardeners who live in an apartment or house without a yard. Get a few plants established and give them reasonable care, and soon you’ll have – great results! Most important is to choose large enough containers or pots (larger is better) and to water properly.

By: aura

aura — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:39:41 +0000

Answer: Growing in Containers.

By: aura

aura — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:47:02 +0000

Sometimes the new growth on top of the tomato plant seems to be drying and taking a brownish color and then either its growth slows down or it dies. Another problem is, one day the plant is vigorously growing and then it suddenly wilts. Watering is consistent in both cases.

Hi Aura
Is this plant in a container or growing in the ground?

By: Lena

Lena — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:42:33 +0000

I am growing two Red Robin heirloom dwarf plants and recently transferred them into separate pots. Before I transferred them they were bothe doing fine. I noticed this week that some of the lower leaves have started to curl a little with some yellow and brown on the edges. Is this normal or could I have damaged the roots when I moved them. Neither had started flowering yet. I got a late start on planting them. I’m in southern GA and I know that the weather has been dry/humid and hot but I water them everyday. Any suggestions as to why the leaves started turning?

HI Lena
There are many reason why leaves turn yellow. Lower yellow leaves can indicate lack of nitrogen. Since you transplanted them in fresh soil, that would not be the case. The plant is most likely responding to stress from having their roots disturbed and hot weather. You might want to move them to “less sun” for a few days until they recuperate. Be sure to fertilize every two weeks when grown in the container as nutrients are easily washed out with watering.

By: Daniel N

Daniel N — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:11:54 +0000

I need some advice on my tomato plants.
The leaves seem to be dieing off and the fruit has a brownish colour at the bottom and they seem to be spitting.
The tomatoes have not yet ripened, but are near.
Any advice on what and how to treat the problem would be most appreciated.
Daniel

Hi,
It sounds as if you may have a watering problem. I know that sounds simplistic but in the aggregate both splitting (growth cracks) and brownish area at the bottom of the fruit (blossom end rot) are caused by uneven moisture. Mulch your plants, which will help maintain even moisture. In the garden, tomatoes need at least 1 inch of water per week. If growing in a container, water deeply until it drains from the bottom. Water again when the top1-2 inches of soil feels dry. If you allow the plant get too dry and then water, it causes an imbalance of nutrient uptake (calcium) resulting in brownish black spot at the point at the blossom end of the fruit. Over watering after being too dry (ueven moisture) will also cause the fruit to crack. If you correct the problem, the subsequent tomatoes should come out fine. You can still eat the cracked fruit provided you pick it before it starts to rot.
Good luck and happy gardening.!.
Kris

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:32:45 +0000

I have been trying to grow a tomato plant for around 1 1/2 months now. i keep up with watering, keep it in the sun and give it fertilizer but all of the leaves are droopy and the edges are dry and brown, everytime a tomato grows the bottom turns brown and dies. i have no idea what is happening to it. it is too high for animals to get at, and i even moved it out of the direct sun at times. what is wrong with my plant and why cant i keep it healthy?

Hi Sara It sounds like a watering problem. Blossom end-rot which causes the bottom of the fruit to turn brown is caused by fluctuating moisture in the soil-either too much or not enough water. Water your tomato plant until it runs out of the bottom of the container. On hot days, in full sun, you may have to water once or even twice a day. Its best to water in the morning. If you have lots of rain(which you can't control) don't water until the top inch of soil dries out. Feed your plant once a week (follow label directions for dosage) and add some mulch to the container to retain even moisture. I hope this helps.