Zone 6b, I have a beefsteak and a campari planted in this big ol’ pot (maybe that’s the problem?). The leaves have started turning yellow/brown and crumbling, and one of the stems is purple. I water it regularly, slightly less so now that I have a self-watering stake. I used tomato-tone a couple weeks ago, but then worried that I over-fertilized, since that was about the same time it started looking sickly. Any idea what could be the problem (and/or if it’s salvageable)?
by _Aimbo_
6 Comments
I’m also in 6b and my tomatoes looked exactly like that…turns out I was way underwatering in this heat. Once I started watering them every day they bounced back (though I’m very much a novice gardener so if someone says different, take THEIR advice, lol)
Trim the dead stuff. Fertilize. Spray leaves with water and epsome salt mix. It needs magnesium.
You can always put DE on the leaves. This should keep it alive long enough to get ripe healthy fruits. Oh and water it – don’t fertilize as it is way too late and you will probably use nitrogen which they don’t need
This also happened with my heirlooms in 5b. Turned out I had been overwatering. Added a thick layer of Compost of Maine (the one with lobster and crab) and within 2 weeks, tomatoes had a complete turnaround! Lots of new growth, not dropping flowers, etc. Local gardening center recommended starting with the compost to feed the soil and then add CalMag if tomatoes didn’t improve. Didn’t even need the CalMag since the compost did the trick.
You need to fertilize them with espoma bonemeal mixed with espoma garden tone about a half cup of each in each pot and then get some liquid fertilizer around the root zone too like some fish emulsion fertilizer diluted to like a quarter cup and a gallon of water
The leaves look like they got wet.