tomato ?

[marydmjj]

What is causing the lower leaves of my tomato plants turn yellow? What should I do?

[gina2000]

I'm not real good with veggies.....but I'm going to guess too much water.

Anyone else out there with a REAL clue???

[Snowwark]

I don't know about a real clue, but I'll take a shot at it!! :p

Mary, do you already have fruit on the plant?

From what I've read, you MAY have Tomato wilt (Fusarium and Vericillium wilt).

Symptoms & Signs:

As first fruit begins to ripen, lower leaves yellow and droop on one side of the plant. One shoot often dies first. Fungus enters from soil into roots, goes up stems, and plugs them, so that they wilt.

Treatment:

Plant wilt-resistant varieties, marked F or FF in catalogs. Rotate crops.

That's a big help, isn't it????:(

Are the tomatoes planted in a different spot from where you had them last year?

[marydmjj]

I have them planted in containers in new soil on my back deck. They are flowering now, no fruit yet. I'm wondering if maybe Gina2000 is on the right track. We've had a lot of rain and maybe they are too wet.

[Mamu]

I plant heirloom tomatoes that are not disease free, so it's a constant battle growing them.

Some advice, remove the yellowing leaves and discard, when watering try not to get the leaves wet, especially at night. Fertilize every 2 weeks. Try to loosen the soil weekly.

Mine are planted in the ground so it's important that I mulch around the plants so when it rains the soil does not splash back on the leaves.

[elmosmom]

I was just wondering what type of Heirloom tomatoes you planted Mamu. We had 3 types last season, The plants were big,tomatoes huge but I did not harvest many. Rabbits got some,but they just did not fully ripen. They were very tasty though--

[mommytotwo]

I think that your plants may need some fertilizer.

[Mamu]

I plant two kinds of heirloon plants, they grow to a height of 8 feet, under the right conditions 10 feet plus. The seeds came from Italy, I have no idea what there called.

One plant has traditional tomatoes, very large about 1 pound each, the other is a plum type but huge double the size of an avocado, very sweet all meat hardly any seeds, only about 10 each.

I've have about 20 of each and and a few cherry tomato plants.

[gina2000]

Mamu.....do you dry and save a tomato for seeds the following year?

If you do....would you share? (Pushy, ain't I?) My sister is an avid tomato grower and she starts her plants from seed.

[Mamu]

Yes Gina we dry the seeds. I will send you some and instructions too.

Why would you need instructions? So you don't make the same mistakes growing them I did at first.

My plants are almost 5 feet high and after the monsoons we've been getting I'm sure I'll need a step-ladder to tie them by the weekend. If you think these are big. The person who gave us the seeds are double the size of mine.

Each plant is covered with flowers and tomatoes they are a late tomato, but worth the wait.

They are a plant that you never remove the suckers (one of my first mistakes). Not only tall, they are wide too.

[gina2000]

Thank you very much, Mamu. I mentioned the possibility of getting some heirloom seeds from a friend to my sister and she was so happy!

Any tips you may have would be greatly appreciated....especially ones for successful propogation!

I'll send you my address. My sister says a big "THANK YOU". I'm sure she will be smiling ear to ear when she hears the news!