Lower leaves yellow on newly planted tomatoes

[vfem]

Ok, as I have the WORST of luck with Blight I can tell you what I know.

1st, blight can 'become' airborne once the the fungus that is the blight sends out spores for breeding purposes from the plant hosting it. However, the primary 'blight' lives in soil. 90% of the time it spreads when the dirt it lives in makes contact with the plants leaf bottoms, and not even the stem. The BEST way to prevent blight is to MULCH, MULCH, MULCH. They catch it most often from splash back of dirt onto the leaves of the plant after a rain. Or in this case, we've had so much rain the ground flooded bringing the dirt and blight up with it OVER my mulch and literally half way up my plants. I had like a pond around my garden, 5-6 inches deep for a number of hours before it receded.

There are sprays you can use to get it under control on your plants, and spray for about 7 days. If it rains, reapply. It looks like I got to most of my plants in time, they are already looking better. We're expecting rain tonight though, so I'll reapply in the morning. I may have been too late to save one... but we'll see by the end of the week. I just keep pulling the bad leaves, and spraying.

I would prefer to NEVER spray, but I refuse to let it spread to the ones they don't need it, this will help control spreading either way.

I have learned to not put 'all my eggs in one basket' though from blight. SO I have 4 different locations with different tomatoes in it. Keeps disease spread minimum, and keeps cross pollination for seed saving down to a minimum.

Just get a copper fungicide spray, and spray daily for 7 days... blight is extremely common in wet seasons. Just don't plant in that location (potatoes or tomatoes) for at least 3 years.

Don't worry.... I got your back!

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

thanks Vfem! That was a lot of great information. Although I did mulch I think the 4+ weeks of rain was just too much. I hope the rest of you can save yours. Maybe I will get a bucket and plant some in that. We'll see how ambitious I am. The grandson (7months old) is here visiting. So not much getting done other than playing and snuggling.

 

[the1honeycomb]

Glad you've got my back Vfem!!! That is a lot of information and I will be working on the tomatoes I have a small garden and I don't know that I would have a place for my Tomatoes for 3 years!
thanks for the info

 

[Major_Fawcett]

From my experience the yellowing of the lower leaves can be from nutrient lock out. This is when large amount of fertilzer causes the plant not to take up anymore nutrients. So in this case the plant in order to feed itself starts taking nutrients that is stored in the lower leaves first and works its way up.

But since you said it has rained a lot there you may have damaged a few roots when you transplanted you plant.

 

[the1honeycomb]

From my experience the yellowing of the lower leaves can be from nutrient lock out. This is when large amount of fertilzer causes the plant not to take up anymore nutrients. So in this case the plant in order to feed itself starts taking nutrients that is stored in the lower leaves first and works its way up.

But since you said it has rained a lot there you may have damaged a few roots when you transplanted you plant.

I use compost in my soil. I never use special fertilizers the tomatoes are going great but the bottom leaves are all gone. tops look wonderful!

I have 2 volunteers ont he other side of the garden so I am not worried and a friend with a huge tomato garden so I may have to buy a few to get the Jars i need for winter but I will make it ha[[en and try again next year!!

 

[Mackay]

OMG! Nutrient Lock Out! I bet thats what turned mine yellow. I fed some, but not all of my plants fish emulsion. Was that a bad idea?

 

[catjac1975]

I grow my seedlings in my greenhouse. They are sometimes leggy when it's time to plant them out. I dig a deep hole, remove the bottom leaves and just leave the tops sticking out a few inches, even if I have to plant them sideways a bit. The plants get roots along the whole buried plant. I never have any water issues even in a drought, because they are deep. Rarely do I ever water them. Plant them deep!

 

[Mackay]

regarding planting.... I planted all my tomatoes deeply, removing the bottom row of leaves so 2 or more inches of the stem that was above the surface is below. This provides for extra root structure for those little hairs on the stem turn into roots. This is essential if you live in high wind areas like I do. The more stem you can put under the better. Then when I sell my plants I tell them that when they transplant to do it again, several extra inches under the ground.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

i planted my tomatoes in landscape pots this year so when my greenhouse was ready i could move them in during cold weather if needed. greenhouse still isn't fully done yet. been working on reusing the old clay bricks as a floor and still need to cover the hoops with plastic.

well, i haven't noticed any leaves showing blight yet but i have been watching closely since i'm not very far from where Stubborn Hill is located. considering i have at least 60 pots filled with tomatoes this year and many of those pots have at least 2 plants each, that's a lot of plants to check over.

 

[catjac1975]

Are you growing heirloom tomatoes? If you are try the resistant hybrids next year. They are listed VFM resistant. There are many varieties to chose from.

Ok, as I have the WORST of luck with Blight I can tell you what I know.

1st, blight can 'become' airborne once the the fungus that is the blight sends out spores for breeding purposes from the plant hosting it. However, the primary 'blight' lives in soil. 90% of the time it spreads when the dirt it lives in makes contact with the plants leaf bottoms, and not even the stem. The BEST way to prevent blight is to MULCH, MULCH, MULCH. They catch it most often from splash back of dirt onto the leaves of the plant after a rain. Or in this case, we've had so much rain the ground flooded bringing the dirt and blight up with it OVER my mulch and literally half way up my plants. I had like a pond around my garden, 5-6 inches deep for a number of hours before it receded.

There are sprays you can use to get it under control on your plants, and spray for about 7 days. If it rains, reapply. It looks like I got to most of my plants in time, they are already looking better. We're expecting rain tonight though, so I'll reapply in the morning. I may have been too late to save one... but we'll see by the end of the week. I just keep pulling the bad leaves, and spraying.

I would prefer to NEVER spray, but I refuse to let it spread to the ones they don't need it, this will help control spreading either way.

I have learned to not put 'all my eggs in one basket' though from blight. SO I have 4 different locations with different tomatoes in it. Keeps disease spread minimum, and keeps cross pollination for seed saving down to a minimum.

Just get a copper fungicide spray, and spray daily for 7 days... blight is extremely common in wet seasons. Just don't plant in that location (potatoes or tomatoes) for at least 3 years.

Don't worry.... I got your back!