my tomatos are looking sick

[darkcrystal]

hello all,
had a look at my tomato plants yesterday and they do not look very well at all, the leaves are going all curled and black with spots, is is posible that i have gone and poisoned them with two much washing up liquid?
i have put a couple of pictures in my album.

i want to repot them but if they have a disease then i wont bother.

im hoping they dont cause they are getting flowers now.

[Bramble_killer]

You've been putting washing up liquid on them?

It looks like what I had a few weeks ago, I let mine grow in the compost for too long and the black spots look like magnesium deficiency.
Royal Horticultural Society - Advice: Tomato Problems

A dose of Epsom salt and final planting out should be ok. They should be in their final pots if they are flowering. I also picked off the ones that turned yellow and the rest of the plant seem ok.

[FionaH]

Why washing up liquid?

[Two_Sheds]

It's hard to see, but that looks like black mould in the 2nd photo. Don't get the leaves wet ... water the roots, not the leaves.

Don't use washing up liquid ...if you see aphids, just squish them with your fingers.

[darkcrystal]

i read that if i sprayed watered down washing up liquid on the green fly it would kill them....i think im going to just pick the things off from now on..... i wanted to get them re potted but i have run out of soil and waiting to get a lift off my nextdoor neighbour, as i dont drive.

have i killed my tomato plants off?????

[Flummery]

I would describe it more as water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid. Maybe you've used it a touch too strong?

[smallblueplanet]

i read that if i sprayed watered down washing up liquid on the green fly it would kill them....?

We spray all our veggies or plants that have aphids with a 'squirt' of Ecover washing-up liquid in a litre of water, they don't get black 'spots'. I think your problem must be caused by something else, unless you have made the 'soap solution' different?

Edit - just had a look at the photo's, it looks like a combo of sunscorch where water droplets have been on the leaves and black 'spots' that are perhaps caused by the plants being too big for their pots/compost? We've had some like that when we've not repotted them as they got big or planted them out when they needed - they should be fine when you 'move them on'.

[darkcrystal]

i think i have done it too strong, nothing said about how much to use. bother. shall i cut off the ones with the bad stems and see what happens?
i know i dont have any shade in our garden either so weather the sun has got them too, that probably isnt helping matters

im not going to be able to get the soil till tuesday hopfully they will be ok by then.......i could move them about when the sun is out see if i can get them not so in the direction of the sun..... i suppose its trile and error i have learnt and wont do it again next year.

[smallblueplanet]

Just nipped out to the garden - here's one of ours with 'black spots', we've just planted it out, it'll be fine.

(click on picture to enlarge)

[darkcrystal]

i went and had a look and one of the tomatos., the leaves are so bad they are crumbling. poor things. thank you for showing me that picture, that was very helpful.

everyone is so helpful on here i hope i can be of help with people when i get used to garderning.

[smallblueplanet]

i went and had a look and one of the tomatos., the leaves are so bad they are crumbling. poor things...

crumbling? are they/have they been too dry? most plants are quite resilient and will keep growing despite 'our best intentions'! Just don't panic too much and see that they get 'enough water and food' but not too much...next year will be easier.

[darkcrystal]

yes the soil is moist, i will feed them again i have tomato feeder just wait till the soil has dried a little then i will make up some feed for them. its hard not to panic isnt it, i get very excited and so are the kids ha ha so when things dont go to plan its panic stations.

thank you again for your help. x

[BarleySugar]

Some washing up liquids have salt in, so if it was too strong, that might be part of the problem.
I remember being told not to use a well known brand to clean the car, because it could cause rust if not rinsed very thoroughly. It wasn't a problem for me though, as cars go to the car wash, just like dishes go to the dishwasher and clothes to the washing machine.

[darkcrystal]

ah i see, i have learnt my lesson im never using that again thats for sure, i will stand and squash them if i have too, thats if i havent actually killed the poor things.

[smallblueplanet]

Try Ecover w-u-l its 'kind enough for frogs' - its always worked for us.