What's wrong with these tomatoes? :-(

[nachoqtpie]

So... after all of our started from seed plants died (I blame not enough water and super hot heat wave right after transplant) we bought a couple of plants from Lowes. They looked decent... they were in the peat pots so I broke the bottoms off and dumped 'em a hole. They were doing REALLY well for a couple of weeks and then the bottom leaves started to turn yellow... and now this

We've been watering almost every days (sometimes twice a day) for a while now. The smaller ones that we got from our neighbor are doing fantastic!! They've put on a couple inches of new growth and look great!! It's just the bigger ones that look like poo! Help!

 

[wifezilla]

What is that white stuff on the ground around the plant?

 

[nachoqtpie]

It's paper mulch. Just old newspaper and papers and such.

 

[curly_kate]

Is it possible there's too much water flushing the nutrients out of the soil? Some of my larger seedlings looked like that until about 2 weeks after I got them in the ground, and it seemed like they were probably nutrient deficient.

 

[nachoqtpie]

Hmmm... I'm not sure! We do use Miracle Grown about once a week. The bad thing is it's SO hot that we NEED to water them.. :/

I honestly don't know what to do. The newer plants (seedlings from the neighbor) are doing fantastic and they're getting about the same of everything as the bigger ones. I guess I could try cutting down the watering a bit. Maybe that will help.

 

[nachoqtpie]

So... I went out there to look at them again... and it seems that there is some new growth UNDER all of this! A stem andleaf had died (right above the soil line) and now there is a new stem and leaf regrowing right above where the one had died!

I'm so very very confused by all of this!

Also, it seems that one of the stems is rolling into itself?? Like. from the end of the stem rolling under towards the stalk like you might roll a sleeping bag .

 

[Dave2000]

I would check under that paper mulch for fungus growth, if it stays damp you might be growing quite a bit of it. Try to avoid getting the leaves frequently wet if that is happening. It may just be too hot right now for your tomatoes.

Since I don't see stuff growing on the soil or wood around the bed, I'm leaning more towards it being too hot or not watering deep enough instead of overwatering, though you could put some nitrogen down and see if that makes a difference.

 

[chris09]

Are the leaves lacey or just drying out, also can you get a closer picture of one of the leaves?

Chris

 

[nachoqtpie]

I took some more pictures this morning. Sorry I wasn't able to get back sooner. Yesterday was a bit of a crazy day! Flea Market in the AM and then it was my daughters 8th birthday!

Here's as close as I can get to the leaf and still get focus

This is the leaf curling in on itself like I was talking about

Here's the new growth at the bottom of the plant

But the top looks amazingly healthy and even has a couple of early blooms!

 

[digitS']

Qt, obviously the plant isn't thriving. I am trying to imagine growing conditions with so much heat and humidity, even tho' you haven't had much in the way of rain in that corner of the world. The Weather Service says you are going into even more heat over this week (if they directed me to the correct page for your forecast and climate info).

All this is quite different from my garden's usual growing conditions.

The green stem and leaves on top the plant look encouraging. No doubt, it was kind of a spindly thing when you got it.

I would not say that it is experiencing an attack of a catastrophic disease. I'd take the brown or near-brown leaves off with scissors. They will just continue to decay. And, I'm still not in favor of a soaked ground under the plant. You haven't killed it and just withholding water might with so much daily heat. So, you'd almost know better than I if you had the experience of growing tomatoes in that ground.

The health of the other plants from the neighbor is what is most encouraging! Can you get her over there and ask why these from the store aren't doing as well? And, dig down in the ground a foot or so from that plant and see if the soil is saturated with water. You want it moist but there has to be some air in it. The soil should not smell musty or sour.

Steve