Floppy Tom leaves

**Scarlet** · 10-06-2014, 09:04 AM

I know it's probably too obvious but Im still going to say it was too dry. When are you watering?

...is it outside?? Black cherry don't like getting chilled.

**Bren In Pots** · 10-06-2014, 11:40 AM

Scarlet the plants in my GH border soil and gets watered along with the rest of them its odd because the other Black Cherry I have in there is almost a foot taller than this one.

Three hours after taking that photo the plant looks fine but tomorrow morning it will have floppy top leaves again.

**Bigmallly** · 10-06-2014, 11:49 AM

It's a late riser Bren..........

**solanaceae** · 10-06-2014, 11:56 AM

This has happened to a few of my plants this year. What happened was the plants were being prevented from taking up most of the water and nutrients due to the base of the stem rotting away for some reason.

Try and inspect all the way down to the base of the stem if you can and you might find out what the cause is.

**Bren In Pots** · 10-06-2014, 02:50 PM

Thanks Solanaceae I'l have a poke around the roots later and see what i can find.

**Penellype** · 10-06-2014, 03:34 PM

One of my 2 shirley seedlings did something similar about 2 months ago - the top leaves wilted and the plant looked stunted at the top compared to the other seedling sown at the same time. Things didn't improve with watering. I nipped out the top of the plant (it had the 2 trusses I was aiming for anyway) and isolated it on the kitchen windowsill. The bottom of the plant and the fruit continued to grow normally, but the leaves that had wilted now have dead patches around the edges although they are not now wilting. The tomatoes are absolutely fine (3 are now ready to eat) and the rest of the plant doesn't seem to have suffered. No idea what the cause is.

If you are wanting the plant to grow into a taller cordon, maybe nip out the top and grow one of the sideshoots on as the main stem?

This is the offending plant, as it looks today:

Its not easy to see, but the damaged leaves are right at the top. One of the sideshoots is being allowed to grow and replace the main stem, and you can just see a flower on it, top left. Just for interest, this is the plant I took the photo of earlier, with the magnesium deficiency in its lower leaves (see the post called is it blight??).

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**brownfingers** · 10-06-2014, 06:43 PM

Too much gin and tomorite the night before?

**Mikey** · 10-06-2014, 06:56 PM

Do you water in the evening Bren or first thing in the morning?

Is this plant in a sun trap spot of the BH, or is the sub soil firmer, different from elsewhere?

My GH has a sunny spot and a sheltered corner, underneath the neighbours elder. I don't mind the shelter as I pick the blooms and fruit off the elder anyway.

I have a patch of lawn where a wall used to be and even though I removed all the wall the grass yellows slightly in summer, so the soil clearly still has a different composition to elsewhere.

**Bren In Pots** · 10-06-2014, 07:10 PM

Mikey I usually water in the morning before the sun hits the GH and the tom is in the bottom right hand side near to the wall so its in the least sunny spot, its the place I tend to put my spare plants.
The other plants either side are doing fine its just this one that goes floppy.

Solanaceae I've had a little poke around the root area and I can't see anything wrong.

**Mikey** · 10-06-2014, 07:16 PM

I think your answers water then Bren, if it perks up by lunchtime then its benefitting from the watering you are giving it in the morning.

Why this one is suffering is a quandery?

You said they are in the border so could the soil be different here, more free draining than elsewhere?

I'd try covering the base with a mulch to see if you can retain the water longer around this plant and see if it makes a difference.

Hang on, you said near the wall!!, then its obviously drying out over night as the wall kicks out the heat from the day. Sorted.

**Bren In Pots** · 10-06-2014, 07:23 PM

Originally posted by Mikey View Post

Hang on, you said near the wall!!, then its obviously drying out over night as the wall kicks out the heat from the day. Sorted.

Wish it was sorted but that corners gets very wet it's where the GH lets water in.

**Potstubsdustbins** · 10-06-2014, 08:36 PM

Poor root system on that one plant maybe, caused by to much water when it was young, just a guess you understand.

**Bigmallly** · 10-06-2014, 08:46 PM

Could they be getting over watered Bren with the amount of rain we have had then drying out by lunch time therefore picking up?

"Two causes of tomato wilt are the most obvious, yet they are very important to mention. They are, the lack of, or excess of water. We all understand why leaves droop or plants die from lack of water. However, tomato plants that stand in water for very long wilt. If soils stay saturated plants will die. This is why we recommend planting in well-drained soil or in raised beds."

Quoted from: Mississippi Gardens Newsletter Archives

**Bren In Pots** · 10-06-2014, 09:51 PM

As an experiment I've watered floppy this evening so I'll post in the morning how its doing.

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Floppy Tom leaves

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