Tomatoville® Gardening Forums


Notices

New to growing your own tomatoes? This is the forum to learn the successful techniques used by seasoned tomato growers. Questions are welcome, too.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old May 7, 2012   #1
pinklady5
Tomatovillian™
 
pinklady5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 234
Default The leaves on my 6 week old plants are not hearty

Ok this is my first year growing tomtoes from seed. Had great success with germination and transplanting up, however, the leaves just seem too delicate and not hearty or strong at all. I stopped by a local nursery to compare and noticed that the leaves on their seedlings are much darker and stonger in thickness. Now of course I am comparing to a pro gardner but why are leaves on my plants so much weaker? I have not fertilized anything yet. Should I give up on these plants? It's almost time to plant them out in the garden.
pinklady5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #2
kath
Tomatovillian™
 
kath's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: zone 6b, PA
Posts: 5,664
Default

Hi, pinklady! Don't give up on them! What varieties are you growing? Some kinds are supposed to have the type of leaves you describe. They seem very fine and/or droopy and sometimes the stems are thinnner than others but they will grow and produce tomatoes just fine. Often these wispy leaved plants produce paste or heart shaped fruits. Can you post a picture?
kath is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #3
Crandrew
Tomatovillian™
 
Crandrew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: asdf
Posts: 1,202
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pinklady5 View Post
Ok this is my first year growing tomtoes from seed. Had great success with germination and transplanting up, however, the leaves just seem too delicate and not hearty or strong at all. I stopped by a local nursery to compare and noticed that the leaves on their seedlings are much darker and stonger in thickness. Now of course I am comparing to a pro gardner but why are leaves on my plants so much weaker? I have not fertilized anything yet. Should I give up on these plants? It's almost time to plant them out in the garden.
Pictures please.
Fertilizer regimen

Also please note that nurseries expose their plants to colder temps to create a hardier plant.
Crandrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #4
PA_Julia
Tomatovillian™
 
PA_Julia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A
Posts: 2,208
Default

Hi!

This is the first time for me to grow tomato's from seed as well.
My plants are also around 6 to 7 weeks old.
Some of my varieties are much weaker looking than others.
They are growing just the same.
I've done everything by the book including fertilizing with a diluted fish emulsion.
Some varieties grow at different rates and appear different at the same stage of growth than others.
I'm not worried and I don't think you should be either.
Like others have asked could you show us a photo of the issue?

Addendum; I just added a photo I took earlier today of some of my tomatoes.


Julia
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 009.jpg (204.8 KB, 152 views)
PA_Julia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #5
pinklady5
Tomatovillian™
 
pinklady5's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 234
Default

When I can, i'll take some photos. I have NOT fertilized. Since I have yellowing leaves and the lower leaves have fallen off, I am quite sure I have overwatered everything. I'm growing Cuostralee, Marianna's Peace, Earl's Faux, Black Cherry, KBX, Barlow Jap. They all have the same delicate leaves so it has to be something I'm doing wrong. I used the same mix that this nursery uses.
pinklady5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #6
babice
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alabama
Posts: 643
Default

Hi pinklady5 - I'll be eager to see your pics too. I am also a first-time-tomato-from-seed-starter ( that was a mouth full!). I had some concerns/issues too and posted a couple threads about that with pics. From the advice I've gotten from these great people on this site, I've picked up on a few things: (a) give them a chance because once you've hardened them off and gotten them out in the sun they'll probably start doing really well, (b) tell us about your growing conditions: what temp(s) have you been keeping the room at and do you have any fans blowing?, (c) how are you watering them (bottom-up or top-down), (d) what kind of pots do you have them in? (peat? coir? cups? etc.). There are some great ideas that have helped mine either improve or at least not get any worse looking such as giving them a diluted shot of fish emulsion (as PA Julia mentioned) or a spritz of aspirin water. But I think it's a good idea to give us more info and pics if possible. If you're like me and reading up helps you relax while you're worrying about your babies, do a search and read up on things like "aspirin water", "yellow spots on leaves", "fish emulsion" or anything like that.

Last edited by babice; May 7, 2012 at 09:40 PM. Reason: grammar
babice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #7
babice
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Alabama
Posts: 643
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by pinklady5 View Post
Since I have yellowing leaves and the lower leaves have fallen off, I am quite sure I have overwatered everything.
p.s. when you say the lower leaves are falling off, are you talking about the cotlyedons? (the first ones you got that don't look the same as their "true leaves"?) If so, it's normal for those to yellow and eventually fall off.
babice is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 7, 2012   #8
Sun City Linda
Tomatovillian™
 
Sun City Linda's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: SoCal Inland
Posts: 2,705
Default

I grow a lot of tomato babies every year. Good light and some breeze helps them develop into strong plants.
Sun City Linda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #9
venturabananas
Tomatovillian™
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Ventura, CA
Posts: 142
Default

This was my first year starting from seed, too. Mine didn't look very impressive at 6 weeks either, but once I got them outdoors and started feeding them dilute fertilizer, they got going. Now they are all big, stocky, healthy plants that are flowering and starting to set fruit. Like Linda said, lots of light and breeze seems to do wonders.
venturabananas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #10
FILMNET
Tomatovillian™
 
FILMNET's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA
Posts: 1,803
Default

julia these look OK so far, but you need a tiny stick for each pot now. nothing fancy. I buy the thin bamboo bag of 6" poles from HD only 2-3$ each bag with 6 in each. Cut 1 to 12" long, each one can be cut again to 3 bamboo sticks and put 1 in each pot. This all 11" high but really small to hold the plants up.
FILMNET is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #11
PA_Julia
Tomatovillian™
 
PA_Julia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A
Posts: 2,208
Default

Thank you!!

I have these bamboo stakes and will do just that.
Thank you for the info!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by FILMNET View Post
julia these look OK so far, but you need a tiny stick for each pot now. nothing fancy. I buy the thin bamboo bag of 6" poles from HD only 2-3$ each bag with 6 in each. Cut 1 to 12" long, each one can be cut again to 3 bamboo sticks and put 1 in each pot. This all 11" high but really small to hold the plants up.
PA_Julia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #12
FILMNET
Tomatovillian™
 
FILMNET's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA
Posts: 1,803
Default

Here they are, i split them in half or 3 pieces, and save them for next year. They are very light , Also no fertilizer till in ground i even put mine on the floor to slow down less sun less water. Before going outside for a few hrs in 10 days here May 24 -31stI make sure they drint water heavy from bottoms now, never water from top. That why i don't use the paper cups anymore drinking from the bottom. This green pots you can get free, and use them ever year.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bomboo2.jpg (159.8 KB, 80 views)
File Type: jpg Babboo.jpg (164.3 KB, 53 views)

Last edited by FILMNET; May 8, 2012 at 08:07 AM.
FILMNET is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #13
BigBrownDogHouse
Tomatovillian™
 
BigBrownDogHouse's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Northern Illinois ZONE 5a...wait now 5b
Posts: 906
Default

Using the wood skewers for BBQ works great too! $1.00 for a bag of 100 from Wal-Mart.

I honestly feel there is no need to worry. The same thing happens to mine. Let them get some wind, some sun, put them in the ground and watch them take off.

I'm still a novice but I encounter the same thing every year.
Wow! Some of these plants don't look so good.....then they get planted and reach for the sky!
__________________
Brian
BigBrownDogHouse is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #14
FILMNET
Tomatovillian™
 
FILMNET's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: North Charleston,South Carolina, USA
Posts: 1,803
Default

Julia if you have any of the dirt left you used to start these, fill the cups up.
FILMNET is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 8, 2012   #15
PA_Julia
Tomatovillian™
 
PA_Julia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A
Posts: 2,208
Default

Yes I need to do that.
I'd say another week and a half and I'm transplanting them.
Most will be at a minimum of 6" and some at 8".

Quote:
Originally Posted by FILMNET View Post
Julia if you have any of the dirt left you used to start these, fill the cups up.
PA_Julia is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:50 AM.


★ Tomatoville® is a registered trademark of Commerce Holdings, LLC ★ All Content ©2022 Commerce Holdings, LLC ★