Tomato problems

I have noticed some of the leaves on my tomatoe plants that are still in their pots are turning yellow I have also noticed some of the other plants on the new growth, the leaves are a yellowish color in the center and darker green towards the outside of the leaf , these are new little leafs that are small. Is this some type of virus or lack of someting? any advise please help thanks . David

David,

How big (tall and age) are the plants and how often are you watering and what have you been fertilizing with and how often, if you have been fertilizing.

Are these plants still inside or are they outside? If inside are they still under lights and if so, how long?

Carolyn

Carolyn, these plants are about 6 weeks old and have been outside for about two weeks. I have been using a little miricle grow 5-15 -5 I think twice. I have been waterig every morning . the plants are about 6-7 inches . David

OK, thanks.

It sounds like you haven't put them in the ground yet.

They don't need, or shouldn't have that much water before being planted in the ground. And not fertilizer either.

The point is to harden off seedlings by gradulayy exposing them to outside conditions, and that means shade at first, only gradually moving them into the sun, If you don't you'll sunburn them. They also need to be protected from high winds until they are hardened off.

So I'd stop any fertilizer ASAP and I'd water them in the pots only when they start to show some wilting.

Once they are in the ground they should do much better and any overwatering or overfertilizing should be negated.

I don't worry about any nutrient deficiencies in seedlings.

And no, at this point your descriptions don't sound like any virus infection, which would be very rare in young seedlings, actually.

Carolyn

JUST A SUGGESTION, DO YOU THINK THAT ADDING JUST A LITTLE, AND I MEAN JUST A LITTLE PELLITIZED LIME MIGHT HELP THEM BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. KINDA STIR IT IN THE DIRT.

HERE IN THE SOUTH THAT IS WHAT WE DO, WHEN OUR PLANTS, PLANTED OR NOT, DO THAT. AND THAT WAS GREAT ADVICE FROM CAROLYN TOO.

I DON'T USUALLY HAVE THAT PROBLEM BEFORE THEY ARE PLANTED, BUT I HAVE HAD BEFORE, BUT A LITTLE PELLITIZED LIME WILL PREVENT BLOSSOM END ROT, AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS. IT HAS ALWAYS WORKED GRREAT FOR ME, AND I WOULDN'T PLANT MY TOMATOES W/O IT.

THANKS,
TRACI S

Traci,

At the time David asked the question his plants were only 6 weeks old and it wasn't clear that they were even i n the gound, although I asked.

Speaking for my self, I wouldn't add lime in any form unless I knew what the pH of my soil was. And I would never add it to the planting hole.

And it's been shown that plants that have fruits that have BER still have plenty of Ca++ in the plant tissues, the problem being that many kinds of stress either prevent that Ca++ already in the plant tissues from reaching the fruits or that it gets out thru transpiration.

BER is a multi-million dollar problem for the veggie industry and much research has been done of late.

It['s pretty much accepted that Ca++ cannot prevenmt BER except where soils haved none, or where soils are exptremely acid, both situations being quite rare.

But if you feel adding lime is beneficial in your situation then by all means continue using it.

Carolyn

CAROLYN,
THANKS. IT'S JUST THAT I USE IT EVERY YEAR AND IT HAS HELPED ME. LAST YEAR I DID NOT USE IT, AND I HAD BER, AND A VERY LOW YEILD OF FRUIT. MAYBE, IT'S JUST MY SOIL, OR MY SUPERSTITIONS. MY GRANDMA TRUELY BELIEVED IN IT AND MY DAD. IT WORKED FOR THEM FOR SOME REASON AND I GUESS I AM JUST FOLLOWING SUIT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I MAY TRY SOMETHING ELSE, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST.

THANKS,
TRACI S

Traci
I also don't have BER when I keep my soil pH above 6.5. Here in Georgia that does mean adding lime every year. The use of lime on tomatoes is controversial but it also works for me athough I use ground limestone rather than pelletized.

dill

Dill, what is the difference. Are you talking about the powdered kind?

Thanks,
Traci

I have found that ground limestone works better and longer for me also-and is less of a problem when adding it late-should you get it on the plants--

i'm gonna try that one!
Thanks,
Traci S

Traci most garden centers will have ground limestone which is raw limestone. Be careful tho as some will sell hydrated lime, which is the stuff that use to be used to line football fields. That is fast acting but is basic enough to cause eye damage if one isn't careful. I t is also much more of a powder than ground limestone.