Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have one in a big pot. The last week or so a few of the lower leaves are turning brown or yellow. The rest of the plant looks great. It has 14 tomatoes growing. I pinched some flowers because it looked like there would be too many. It is in full sun and I water every day, or every other day. Depends on rain. Should I be concerned or do all plants get occasional dying leaves? Should I remove these leaves?
I have one in a big pot. The last week or so a few of the lower leaves are turning brown or yellow. The rest of the plant looks great. It has 14 tomatoes growing. I pinched some flowers because it looked like there would be too many. It is in full sun and I water every day, or every other day. Depends on rain. Should I be concerned or do all plants get occasional dying leaves? Should I remove these leaves?
Sounds normal to me. I usually pinch off the lowest leaves anyway. I would have pinched some flowers, too. That's a lot of maters for a container grown plant. Now, here is the feeding schedule for tomatoes as recommended by K-State Extension:
1-2 weeks before the first ones ripen, which might be pretty soon depending on how large yours are
2 weeks after harvesting the first ripe one
1 month after the previous feeding
Maybe too much water? Pots do get hot fast but how hot has it been there that you need water everyday? Soil stays moist at the bottom of the pot especially if its big, so let the roots dig down for it.
Thanks Tina, Cambium for the help. Tina, should I take off a few of the smallest tomatoes? Not sure how the plant is going to support them all. The biggest one is just starting to turn yellow-orange. I am quite surprised I am getting this many tomatoes from one potted plant.
Cambium. Perhaps I should just water every couple or 3 days. It has been between 75-85 the last few weeks. I am also using potting soil so maybe it is holding the moisture down low. The top few inches are bone dry every afternoon.
Thanks Tina, Cambium for the help. Tina, should I take off a few of the smallest tomatoes? Not sure how the plant is going to support them all. The biggest one is just starting to turn yellow-orange. I am quite surprised I am getting this many tomatoes from one potted plant.
Cambium. Perhaps I should just water every couple or 3 days. It has been between 75-85 the last few weeks. I am also using potting soil so maybe it is holding the moisture down low. The top few inches are bone dry every afternoon.
Oh yeah...at 75-85 that is not enough to water everyday. Top 2 inches is a false rule of thumb because you dont want the roots to surface.
Get one of those inexpensive soil thermometers to check moisture down further. Only when its above 90 each day I water everyday. 75-85 not enough evaporates from the entire soil in the pot/ground.
My rule of thumb..
Below 75°F every week
75-80° every 3 days
80-89° every 2 days
90°+ every day
If there's rain coming I adjust the water schedule. Like if todays is going to be 90 but rain tonight, I wont water. If it doesnt end up raining I'll water in the morning. But if its 90 today and rains a lot, 90 tomorrow I might not water since it rained a lot.
It's almost better to get them to tolerate dryness rather than constantly keep them wet.
You'll be suprised when you see leaves wilting from lack of water and how fast they bounce back with a sip.
fyi, I got 8" of rain in 10 days. Even if it was 90+ for 3 days in a row I wouldnt water the ground. Roots are soaked and moisture is wet way down low. (pots different story) There's no rule per say, have to go with current conditions.
Thank you both. I am going to trim the dead leaves, and back off the watering. We have about 5 days ahead with no rain, so I think I will water every 3 days or so. It may hit 90 this weekend, and with sun, I will do every other day. Does this sound good?
Plants regularly shed lower leaves as they grow, especially when flowering/fruiting. It's normal and not a problem.
It does sound like you're overwatering though, which is a common cause of leaf drop.
You'd be better off just watering the plant only when it needs it, not on any certain fixed schedule. It will dry out faster on some days than others, depending on temperatures, sun intensity, humidity, etc. Just pick up the pot to see how heavy it is and water based off that. When the pot starts to get light water it. If it's heavy, don't.
Plants regularly shed lower leaves as they grow, especially when flowering/fruiting. It's normal and not a problem.
It does sound like you're overwatering though, which is a common cause of leaf drop.
You'd be better off just watering the plant only when it needs it, not on any certain fixed schedule. It will dry out faster on some days than others, depending on temperatures, sun intensity, humidity, etc. Just pick up the pot to see how heavy it is and water based off that. When the pot starts to get light water it. If it's heavy, don't.
Good point. It feels pretty heavy. No water for now. The biggest tomato is turning more red! It is good size.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
