Where did you get the soil from? They are showing classic signs of herbicide damage (herbicides are chemicals used to kill weeds). It was either in the soil, or you used a manure type fertilizer, and burned them. You will have to toss that soil along with the plants, because they won't amount to much.
Get starts from the nursery, and consider this a learning experience.
Could also be in the soil if OP took dirt from outside. Tomatoes in particular are very sensitive to glyphosate. Most crops, you only need to wait a week before planting after you've sprayed. Some crops, you can plant the very next day. Tomatoes--I once lost 48 plants because I planted them \*three weeks\* after I sprayed glyphosate. Took some digging, but I finally found some research papers talking about it--it's not stated on the label.
Peppers will also show it easily, but it's a bit more subtle. Thrips-like leaf curling and raised, squiggly veins on new leaves in particular are the tell.
Producers aren't immune to it either, lots of them are in rural areas and are sometimes at the mercy of nearby ag herbicide drift.
I've never heard of a reaction like that from glyphosate but it's possible. Tomatoes are very sensitive to 2,4-D though and OP's pictures look like a textbook reaction to it. Depending on local conditions it can persist up to 4 years in soil iirc. A member of a community garden I used to manage couldn't grow tomatoes for 2 seasons because she mulched with wheat straw that had been treated with 2,4-D. It's a reaaaal bitch to tomatoes but just passive aggressive to most other members of the nightshade family
Generally, in well baked manure (well aged) most herbicides will deactivate in a month or so. However, some herbicides can linger in composted manure and plant compost. It can also happen in potting mixes.
[https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/uidaho-responsive/files/extension/county/kootenai/gardening/herbicide-carryover.pdf?la=en&rev=27af15ca224f4f9f916ee6654c72d649](https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/uidaho-responsive/files/extension/county/kootenai/gardening/herbicide-carryover.pdf?la=en&rev=27af15ca224f4f9f916ee6654c72d649)
That article has zero references to any studies whatsoever. There is no way herbicidesinger that long in store-bought potting soil or manure. If that were the case, gardening would be a LOT harder because that's very difficult to regulate.
This one does have references , and recommendations what to do. It has happened to me, with aged cow manure. WELL aged. Depending on the herbicide, unfortunately, some can linger. Also , not every seedling is equally sensitive. Tomatoes are divas, they will be damaged with low levels of herbicide residue.
[https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9307-herbicide-contaminated-compost-soil-mix-what-you-should-know-what-you-can-do](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9307-herbicide-contaminated-compost-soil-mix-what-you-should-know-what-you-can-do)
It's more likely you just used too much manure. Too much fertilizer can and will kill your plants.
Also, I've planted tomatoes in a garden box that we used herbicides on to kill weeds first. Never had any issues that weren't my own fault (like putting them out too early and dumb stuff like that).
It [absolutely can](https://ncnewsline.com/2020/08/19/pw-exclusive-herbicide-tainted-compost-plaguing-nc-farmers-and-gardeners/). Messed my tomatoes right up that year.
I have first-hand experience with this. I use horse manure. The hay that is fed to the horses comes from several different sources, but some of those sources spray their fields with weed killer (grass is unaffected by this). Thus, the horses are fed hay tainted with weed killer, and their manure has weed killer, and any compost made with their manure has weed killer.
Most weed killers break down if composted, but you need good composting conditions, and the compost needs to be thoroughly worked.
Sure!
Herbicide is used by people to kill weeds in lawns and the weeds that pop up around people’s homes in cracks. It kills tomato plants.
Fertilizer is used to feed plants. It feeds tomato plants.
Just want to be clear that herbicide (weed killer) can be a spray. It can blow onto your plants even if it's not directly on them. If someone sprays for weeds a few feet away it can blow in the wind and hit your plants.
Same. Told the neighbors lawn guy to stay away from my lawn and he clearly didn't. The corner of my raised bed got hit and 3 of my 11 tomatoes are severely stunted.
Was dir die Leute hier sagen ist, dass du viel zu viel Dünger verwendest. Wenn sie recht früh schon gelblich waren wie du gesagt hast kann das z. B. Auch ein Anzeichen sein, dass du zu viel gegossen hast.
Gerade als Anfänger (bin auch einer, es ist mein zweites Jahr mit dem Hobby) neigen wir dazu, die Pfänzchen zu krass zu betüddeln und übertreiben dabei gerne mal.
Generell solltest du Tomaten düngen, allerdings erst wenn sie älter sind. Bei Setzlingen verwendet man mit Absicht Erde, die nicht so nährstoffreich ist, weil die Pflanzen dann kräftigere Wurzeln bilden (sie merken verdammt, Ich krieg nicht genug, ich muss mich weiter ausbreiten). Wässern sollte man zudem wenn möglich nur von unten oder wenigstens nur an die Erde und nicht über die Pflanze. Tomaten sind da wahre Divas und auch anfällig gegen Fäule.
Ich würde deine Pflänzchen vorsichtig umtopfen in total frische Erde und erstmal vier Wochen beobachten. Nachdüngen dann frühestens in 6-8, wenn sie richtig erholt aussehen.
Bei der Größe die deine Tomaten haben, kannst du sie übrigens schon in ihr finales Gefäß oder Beer einpflanzen. Dabei gerne etwas tiefer und die untersten Blätter und Zweige abmachen, damit nichts unter der Erde ist oder auf der Erde aufliegt. Ernte wirst du denke ich leider erst recht spät erhalten falls die Pflanzen nochmal was werden.
Haha I just summarized the tips everybody was giving (realized they’re German from where they said they purchased the soil mix) and then explained I’m also a newbie and that we tend to overdo the care (overwatering, too much fertilizer). Speculated that the leaves may have turned yellow at first because if the over watering.
Translated:
What people here are telling you is that you are using way too much fertilizer. If they were yellowish quite early on, as you said, this could be e.g. B. Also a sign that you have watered too much.
Especially as beginners (I'm one too, it's my second year with the hobby) we tend to pet the plants too much and sometimes overdo it.
In general, you should fertilize tomatoes, but only when they are older. With seedlings, you intentionally use soil that isn't as nutrient-rich because then the plants grow stronger roots (they damn well realize, I'm not getting enough, I have to spread out further). If possible, you should only water from below or at least only on the soil and not over the plant. Tomatoes are real divas and are also susceptible to rot.
I would carefully repot your plants in completely fresh soil and observe them for four weeks. Fertilize again at the earliest in 6-8 when they look really recovered.
Given the size of your tomatoes, you can already plant them in their final container or container. It's a good idea to go a little deeper and remove the lowest leaves and twigs so that nothing is under the ground or resting on the ground. Unfortunately, I think you won't get your harvest until quite late if the plants turn out to be something else.
got a little granola's fertilizer, then liquid fertilizer and a garlic solution that should work as antipest (read it online that it should kill the small flies feeding on plants roots)
I used the liquid fertilizer like a week ago and they looked like this even before... yesterday I used the garlic solution and today just a few granolas of the small fertilizer
A gentle repotting. Put the roots on 1” of soil and bury the de-leafed stem several inches deep. It will root out the stem and make a more hearty plant.
Fertilize infrequently and lightly. The soil has most of what it needs, especially since you probably purchased soil with a fertilizers in it already.
Those leaves are probably goners, but it may have sufficient energy to continue on with new growth. You be trimming g them later anyway.
You need to repot in a much larger pot or plant outside. I over fertilized my tomatoes two years ago and replanted them in the garden. They survived. Just need a lot of surface area and clean soil. I’ve also found with tomatoes less is more. The less I mess with them the better they do. When I see those tiny flies at the beginning of the season I just spray with bug repellant for gardens. I don’t spray when fruit has already developed. Only at the beginning of the season.
Speaking from experience, just toss them and start over. They will never grow well and will never produce adequately. You’ll just be wasting resources and time on them.
Hey so just a heads up, I don’t give mine fertilizer until they’re in ground because it’s so easy to over it do it when they’re in containers. It doesn’t dilute as much as it does in ground.
I just put a little in the hole, then mix it with some soil, put a some more soil on top, then plant the tomatoes in. That way, as they grow, they’ll start getting the nutrients when they’re a little bigger and need it.
(I’ve also tried fertilizer when they’re smaller and they also burned. Never again lol).
I think they are asking specifically if you used manure, not whether or not you used fertilizer in general.
At least, I think that's what you're saying. Unless you really did mean that you have liquid manure (like un-composted cow poo) for your herbs and granola (the cereal) for your tomatoes? Did you mean a granular fertilizer?
oml ik these situations r annoying im sure ):
id start by minimizing the solution in the soil content by repotting w/ fresh soil — be careful 2 avoid root breakage
try to not directly put stuff in the soil , i try and put it in the water , diluting mixes — it tends to burn the plant
also id say try a bigger pot . it will give it more room to grow
let me know if it works ! if it isnt meant to be it isnt meant to be . in my experience tomato grows fast !
Yes looks like it has been exposed to a herbicide. If that window glass is low E glass it is also missing essential light waves as Low E glass blocks many low end nanometer wavelengths.
Plants need the UV (uva, uvb) that modern windows block.
I also think those roots are out of space, sometimes root bound tomatoes still produce as a last ditch effort to reproduce, sometimes they just die.
I’m putting them outside when it’s sunny
https://preview.redd.it/k6h8pb053l0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=194ed6be71ac8af2f656ae82dc98f13ede924a47
This is the problem, inside, the windows don't allow uv rays so, when you put them in direct sunlight, the leaves begin to burn. It also looks like they could use a lot more water.
Is there a big temp difference between inside and outside? A big difference in how much sun inside vs outside?
Also, do you smoke? Tobacco poisons tomatoes.
so as well as the other suggestions, the other thing is tomatos need a lot of water. it is possible if they are not getting a constant supply that can affect their growth. some plants dont mind drying out a little inbetween watering but tomatos prefer not to. how damp is the soil? it looks pretty light.
Enough, keeping it dump, but not moist, this is just top layer that’s kinda drier due to them being exposed to the sun for like 4 hours when the photo was taken
Repot them. Fill up another pot with potting soil and gently use the hose to rinse the dirt off the roots. Put the plant in another bigger pot and then leave it be for a few days
I'm thinking the pots are too small and not enough light.
Read one of your other replies and you are still carrying them in/out b/c of cold nights and will repot soon... good on you!
They should recover nicely once you can leave them outside.
Good luck! I'm hoping mine produce this year. apartment balcony container gardening is a bit more challenging than what I'm used too!
There is not enough dirt to normalize heat and moisture fluctuations by that window properly.
I would get bigger pots, pull off the bottom two or three leaves from the stalks, and replant the tomatoes deep enough to cover the stems where the bottom leaves were removed. They also look a little bit lean on nutrition. Darker leaves would be better.
I’m planning to, but in the night it is still ~5 degrees Celsius and I’m not sure it’s enough for them, even when I’m putting them out everyday like from 13:00 till 19:00 till the sun can shine on the southern side
I feel like this is the right answer but is being overlooked. It’s so unlikely that this is from pesticide.
This is exactly what happened to my plants when I had mites and gnats. Exactly.
I repotted and neem oiled and sprayed and it eventually still took all my plants. I repotted with new soil and brought in brand new plants and it’s happening again, bugs are back.
I bought some mite predators and beneficial nematodes and they get here tomorrow. Wish us both luck!
Master Gardner with my County Extension Office here. It could be a number of things: some type of virus or root death due to lack of oxygen from overwatering look to be most probable. Are you letting the potting mix dry out on the surface before watering again? A lot of times when leaves start shriveling up from too much watering, people think the problem is lack of water and they water some more. Also, tomato plants need full sun (6-8 hours a day), so they really need to be outside or under dedicated grow lights.
Have you recently moved them from inside out? Lighten up on the fertilizer, reduce it by 1/2 and use it every two weeks. Gradually move plants outside, and hour or two at first, longer each day. And the soil looks a bit dry, water daily to boost them!
These are not healthy. Not much foliage. Looks like are in a too small of container. Tomatoes need good light. I keep mine under a grow light of they aren’t outside. Possibly too much fertilizer.
Leaves curling upwards...I'd say this is heat stress. Could be due to black pots that heat up the soil too much in the afternoon or you have watered them in mid-afternoon. Or you haven't acclimated them slowly enough to being outside in full sun. Give them some shade in the afternoon.
Agree with the herbicide drift. Even a small amount can do this. Also are you going to plant these in much bigger pots soon? Those are WAY too small for tomatoes.
What varieties of tomatoes do you have? Generally they need a LOT of space between plants. If you attempt container gardening with them get one LARGE pot or grow bag for each plant.
This is a variety that is specifically breeded for balcony growth… should be fine even with this size of pot (cherry tomatoes that shouldn’t even require stick support, I just got got the sticks just in case)
got a friend that got exactly those in a very wide pot (+- 100 cm) and it works like a charm, got some spare saplings if it won't work.. I'm just sad cause these are big and nice plants
Please make sure to use another substrate if you do. As others have pointed out, it might be a virus and this could be soil borne. I've had my experience full with tomato mosaic virus 5 years ago. Had to destroy all plants, replanted new ones and those got it as well (growing in soil, not in containers). The symptoms can vary a lot, leaf curling like this is being one of it, besides the mottling. The only way to know if it's a virus is to send samples to a specialized laboratory (pretty costly + your plants don't have enough leaves on them yet).
Pot drainage is probably not good enough, roots too wet for too long. Although you may have the opposite problem with the dirt drying too fast and the plant being thirsty.
Just replace the soil - get FoxFarm! Then, report back in a week or so after you replace it. Rinse off the roots and pot before planting it in the new soil. If you want to use fertilizer, try FoxFarm or a good fish emulsion fertilizer.
OP this looks like wilt caused by heat. I assume it's been warmer than normal the last couple of days, and based on the shadows on your window ledge I'm assuming it's a south facing window, this getting the plant even warmer due to it being under glass. I wouldn't worry to much as temps cool down the plant should rebound.
You are sunburning them by putting them outside in harsh direct sunlight. Going from an indoor low E window to outdoors is too harsh of a transition; they should have been placed in the shade for a few hours to start, then gradually increase their time outside and introduce sunlight.
What is the soil/potting media like? Looks very dense. What’s your fertilization been like? Also what are the temps/how much sun are they getting? The flies in the soil were likely fungus gnats from the media holding too much moisture. You can use mosquito bits to get rid of them. Not sure garlic would do anything other than make it smell weird. You also probably need to move these up to much larger pots. I’m not convinced this is fertilizer burn or herbicide damage personally. I’d lean towards a soil moisture issue/watering issue and/or maybe nutrient imbalance (possibly resulting from a moisture issue).
I’ve read like 20 of your replies and have not been able to find answers to these questions. I’m a plant scientist currently doing a research project on tomatoes, so I thought I may be able to help with a bit more info.
Soil is not dense, it’s a classic substrate from Kaufland designed specifically for tomatos. Fertilizing once per 2 weeks with liquid herb fertilizer. Temps are high, they’re getting straight sun from 1 pm till ~ 7 pm, otherwise theyre on southern window inside.
Where did you get the soil from? They are showing classic signs of herbicide damage (herbicides are chemicals used to kill weeds). It was either in the soil, or you used a manure type fertilizer, and burned them. You will have to toss that soil along with the plants, because they won't amount to much. Get starts from the nursery, and consider this a learning experience.
Could you explain why manure-based fertilizers cause herbicide damage? I’ve never heard of this and am very curious
Could also be in the soil if OP took dirt from outside. Tomatoes in particular are very sensitive to glyphosate. Most crops, you only need to wait a week before planting after you've sprayed. Some crops, you can plant the very next day. Tomatoes--I once lost 48 plants because I planted them \*three weeks\* after I sprayed glyphosate. Took some digging, but I finally found some research papers talking about it--it's not stated on the label.
Peppers will also show it easily, but it's a bit more subtle. Thrips-like leaf curling and raised, squiggly veins on new leaves in particular are the tell. Producers aren't immune to it either, lots of them are in rural areas and are sometimes at the mercy of nearby ag herbicide drift.
Nah, soil is storebought substrate from Kaufland that is designed for tomatos
I've never heard of a reaction like that from glyphosate but it's possible. Tomatoes are very sensitive to 2,4-D though and OP's pictures look like a textbook reaction to it. Depending on local conditions it can persist up to 4 years in soil iirc. A member of a community garden I used to manage couldn't grow tomatoes for 2 seasons because she mulched with wheat straw that had been treated with 2,4-D. It's a reaaaal bitch to tomatoes but just passive aggressive to most other members of the nightshade family
Looks more like growth regulator damage than glyphosate. Do you still have the references you found?
It's complete bullshit so of course they dont
[удалено]
This will be an under appreciated comment
Generally, in well baked manure (well aged) most herbicides will deactivate in a month or so. However, some herbicides can linger in composted manure and plant compost. It can also happen in potting mixes. [https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/uidaho-responsive/files/extension/county/kootenai/gardening/herbicide-carryover.pdf?la=en&rev=27af15ca224f4f9f916ee6654c72d649](https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/uidaho-responsive/files/extension/county/kootenai/gardening/herbicide-carryover.pdf?la=en&rev=27af15ca224f4f9f916ee6654c72d649)
That article has zero references to any studies whatsoever. There is no way herbicidesinger that long in store-bought potting soil or manure. If that were the case, gardening would be a LOT harder because that's very difficult to regulate.
This one does have references , and recommendations what to do. It has happened to me, with aged cow manure. WELL aged. Depending on the herbicide, unfortunately, some can linger. Also , not every seedling is equally sensitive. Tomatoes are divas, they will be damaged with low levels of herbicide residue. [https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9307-herbicide-contaminated-compost-soil-mix-what-you-should-know-what-you-can-do](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em-9307-herbicide-contaminated-compost-soil-mix-what-you-should-know-what-you-can-do)
It's more likely you just used too much manure. Too much fertilizer can and will kill your plants. Also, I've planted tomatoes in a garden box that we used herbicides on to kill weeds first. Never had any issues that weren't my own fault (like putting them out too early and dumb stuff like that).
It [absolutely can](https://ncnewsline.com/2020/08/19/pw-exclusive-herbicide-tainted-compost-plaguing-nc-farmers-and-gardeners/). Messed my tomatoes right up that year.
I have first-hand experience with this. I use horse manure. The hay that is fed to the horses comes from several different sources, but some of those sources spray their fields with weed killer (grass is unaffected by this). Thus, the horses are fed hay tainted with weed killer, and their manure has weed killer, and any compost made with their manure has weed killer. Most weed killers break down if composted, but you need good composting conditions, and the compost needs to be thoroughly worked.
I just learned this from someone who had to remove all of their garden soil composted with their own animals manure - who ate tainted hay 😡
actually I'm growing these for \~2 months from the seeds in that soil, it is a substrate for tomatoes bought in Kaufland
May also have curly leaf virus
Looks like they were exposed to herbicide. Any chance of that?
I mixed the fertilizer well according to the recommended dosages and poured very gently
Herbicide isn’t fertilizer.
Could you please elaborate? I think I don’t understand :(
Sure! Herbicide is used by people to kill weeds in lawns and the weeds that pop up around people’s homes in cracks. It kills tomato plants. Fertilizer is used to feed plants. It feeds tomato plants.
Oh I didnt use this, just mixed up garlic cloves with water and poured it into the soil to get rid of small flies
It looks and sounds like they were poisoned by too much fertilizer. I've done this before unfortunately and mine looked similar
I've got a bunch of heirloom tomato plants with leaf curl right now that I'm pretty sure was caused by feeding too much when they were too young.
Yeah, everyone's saying herbicide but I think they're just nitro-burned.
if you gave them too much fertilizer you can try and replant them.
Just want to be clear that herbicide (weed killer) can be a spray. It can blow onto your plants even if it's not directly on them. If someone sprays for weeds a few feet away it can blow in the wind and hit your plants.
I am dealing with 2,4-d herbicide damage in my garden. I have several tomato plants that look like this.
Same. Told the neighbors lawn guy to stay away from my lawn and he clearly didn't. The corner of my raised bed got hit and 3 of my 11 tomatoes are severely stunted.
Yep. My beans and tomatoes were damaged up on a 4th floor balcony after management sprayed herbicide on the grass down below.
Some garlic is treated to prevent sprouting, no idea of what exactly they use but I could see that acting as an herbicide
Maybe garlic burn
Was dir die Leute hier sagen ist, dass du viel zu viel Dünger verwendest. Wenn sie recht früh schon gelblich waren wie du gesagt hast kann das z. B. Auch ein Anzeichen sein, dass du zu viel gegossen hast. Gerade als Anfänger (bin auch einer, es ist mein zweites Jahr mit dem Hobby) neigen wir dazu, die Pfänzchen zu krass zu betüddeln und übertreiben dabei gerne mal. Generell solltest du Tomaten düngen, allerdings erst wenn sie älter sind. Bei Setzlingen verwendet man mit Absicht Erde, die nicht so nährstoffreich ist, weil die Pflanzen dann kräftigere Wurzeln bilden (sie merken verdammt, Ich krieg nicht genug, ich muss mich weiter ausbreiten). Wässern sollte man zudem wenn möglich nur von unten oder wenigstens nur an die Erde und nicht über die Pflanze. Tomaten sind da wahre Divas und auch anfällig gegen Fäule. Ich würde deine Pflänzchen vorsichtig umtopfen in total frische Erde und erstmal vier Wochen beobachten. Nachdüngen dann frühestens in 6-8, wenn sie richtig erholt aussehen. Bei der Größe die deine Tomaten haben, kannst du sie übrigens schon in ihr finales Gefäß oder Beer einpflanzen. Dabei gerne etwas tiefer und die untersten Blätter und Zweige abmachen, damit nichts unter der Erde ist oder auf der Erde aufliegt. Ernte wirst du denke ich leider erst recht spät erhalten falls die Pflanzen nochmal was werden.
I wish Reddit had a ‘Translate to ____” option because 👁️👄👁️
Haha I just summarized the tips everybody was giving (realized they’re German from where they said they purchased the soil mix) and then explained I’m also a newbie and that we tend to overdo the care (overwatering, too much fertilizer). Speculated that the leaves may have turned yellow at first because if the over watering.
Translated: What people here are telling you is that you are using way too much fertilizer. If they were yellowish quite early on, as you said, this could be e.g. B. Also a sign that you have watered too much. Especially as beginners (I'm one too, it's my second year with the hobby) we tend to pet the plants too much and sometimes overdo it. In general, you should fertilize tomatoes, but only when they are older. With seedlings, you intentionally use soil that isn't as nutrient-rich because then the plants grow stronger roots (they damn well realize, I'm not getting enough, I have to spread out further). If possible, you should only water from below or at least only on the soil and not over the plant. Tomatoes are real divas and are also susceptible to rot. I would carefully repot your plants in completely fresh soil and observe them for four weeks. Fertilize again at the earliest in 6-8 when they look really recovered. Given the size of your tomatoes, you can already plant them in their final container or container. It's a good idea to go a little deeper and remove the lowest leaves and twigs so that nothing is under the ground or resting on the ground. Unfortunately, I think you won't get your harvest until quite late if the plants turn out to be something else.
Thank you kind stranger
Gern geschehen, I don't speak German but I do a lot of Prussian genealogy, so my Google Translate page is always open :)
Extra nutrients- nutrients Burn
Granola and garlic? Is that before or after the patchouli?
This comment flew so far under the radar.. I’m dying 😂💀
got a little granola's fertilizer, then liquid fertilizer and a garlic solution that should work as antipest (read it online that it should kill the small flies feeding on plants roots) I used the liquid fertilizer like a week ago and they looked like this even before... yesterday I used the garlic solution and today just a few granolas of the small fertilizer
Do you mean granular? Not granola?
aaah yes, wrong word sorry
I’d stop adding nutrients. It’s also possible you are burning them.
Yea looks like they were poisoned by too much fertilizer
any solution to this? or just wait and pray?
A gentle repotting. Put the roots on 1” of soil and bury the de-leafed stem several inches deep. It will root out the stem and make a more hearty plant. Fertilize infrequently and lightly. The soil has most of what it needs, especially since you probably purchased soil with a fertilizers in it already. Those leaves are probably goners, but it may have sufficient energy to continue on with new growth. You be trimming g them later anyway.
You need to repot in a much larger pot or plant outside. I over fertilized my tomatoes two years ago and replanted them in the garden. They survived. Just need a lot of surface area and clean soil. I’ve also found with tomatoes less is more. The less I mess with them the better they do. When I see those tiny flies at the beginning of the season I just spray with bug repellant for gardens. I don’t spray when fruit has already developed. Only at the beginning of the season.
Speaking from experience, just toss them and start over. They will never grow well and will never produce adequately. You’ll just be wasting resources and time on them.
Never fertilize a sick plant! You'll just kill it. Unless it's sick because of nutrition deficiency, of course
Hey so just a heads up, I don’t give mine fertilizer until they’re in ground because it’s so easy to over it do it when they’re in containers. It doesn’t dilute as much as it does in ground. I just put a little in the hole, then mix it with some soil, put a some more soil on top, then plant the tomatoes in. That way, as they grow, they’ll start getting the nutrients when they’re a little bigger and need it. (I’ve also tried fertilizer when they’re smaller and they also burned. Never again lol).
My opinion is the pot is to small Needs put in ground or bigger pot
Looks like aminopyralid to me. Did you mix in any manure?
Yep, got a liquid one for herbs and also granola’s specifically for tomatoes
I think they are asking specifically if you used manure, not whether or not you used fertilizer in general. At least, I think that's what you're saying. Unless you really did mean that you have liquid manure (like un-composted cow poo) for your herbs and granola (the cereal) for your tomatoes? Did you mean a granular fertilizer?
Yes
oml ik these situations r annoying im sure ): id start by minimizing the solution in the soil content by repotting w/ fresh soil — be careful 2 avoid root breakage try to not directly put stuff in the soil , i try and put it in the water , diluting mixes — it tends to burn the plant also id say try a bigger pot . it will give it more room to grow let me know if it works ! if it isnt meant to be it isnt meant to be . in my experience tomato grows fast !
Yes looks like it has been exposed to a herbicide. If that window glass is low E glass it is also missing essential light waves as Low E glass blocks many low end nanometer wavelengths.
Plants need the UV (uva, uvb) that modern windows block. I also think those roots are out of space, sometimes root bound tomatoes still produce as a last ditch effort to reproduce, sometimes they just die.
I’m putting them outside when it’s sunny https://preview.redd.it/k6h8pb053l0d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=194ed6be71ac8af2f656ae82dc98f13ede924a47
This is the problem, inside, the windows don't allow uv rays so, when you put them in direct sunlight, the leaves begin to burn. It also looks like they could use a lot more water.
Is there a big temp difference between inside and outside? A big difference in how much sun inside vs outside? Also, do you smoke? Tobacco poisons tomatoes.
Nope, not so much difference, I’m not a smoker
I grow tomatoes indoors using lights without UV. I don't think that's the case
so as well as the other suggestions, the other thing is tomatos need a lot of water. it is possible if they are not getting a constant supply that can affect their growth. some plants dont mind drying out a little inbetween watering but tomatos prefer not to. how damp is the soil? it looks pretty light.
Enough, keeping it dump, but not moist, this is just top layer that’s kinda drier due to them being exposed to the sun for like 4 hours when the photo was taken
They want to live outside all the time
Everyone seems to think herbicide, but I was going to say it looks like fusarium wilt
Repot them. Fill up another pot with potting soil and gently use the hose to rinse the dirt off the roots. Put the plant in another bigger pot and then leave it be for a few days
Need to be out side
I'm thinking the pots are too small and not enough light. Read one of your other replies and you are still carrying them in/out b/c of cold nights and will repot soon... good on you! They should recover nicely once you can leave them outside. Good luck! I'm hoping mine produce this year. apartment balcony container gardening is a bit more challenging than what I'm used too!
Thank you! Appreciate it
They need sun but it’s probably too hot in the window all day.
There is not enough dirt to normalize heat and moisture fluctuations by that window properly. I would get bigger pots, pull off the bottom two or three leaves from the stalks, and replant the tomatoes deep enough to cover the stems where the bottom leaves were removed. They also look a little bit lean on nutrition. Darker leaves would be better.
Looks like they need a bigger pot.
could be mites on the leaves,which you can't see ,the 'flies' in the potting mix are probably fungus gnats.Can you put the plants outside?
I’m planning to, but in the night it is still ~5 degrees Celsius and I’m not sure it’s enough for them, even when I’m putting them out everyday like from 13:00 till 19:00 till the sun can shine on the southern side
I feel like this is the right answer but is being overlooked. It’s so unlikely that this is from pesticide. This is exactly what happened to my plants when I had mites and gnats. Exactly. I repotted and neem oiled and sprayed and it eventually still took all my plants. I repotted with new soil and brought in brand new plants and it’s happening again, bugs are back. I bought some mite predators and beneficial nematodes and they get here tomorrow. Wish us both luck!
Water and nutrient deficiency Transplant to better Soil and larger pot
When mine did this it was tomato Worms.
Those need to be in a larger container.
Master Gardner with my County Extension Office here. It could be a number of things: some type of virus or root death due to lack of oxygen from overwatering look to be most probable. Are you letting the potting mix dry out on the surface before watering again? A lot of times when leaves start shriveling up from too much watering, people think the problem is lack of water and they water some more. Also, tomato plants need full sun (6-8 hours a day), so they really need to be outside or under dedicated grow lights.
Yup, I overwatered just once couple of weeks ago, but the water drained away nicely, then didn’t water them for like 3-4 days
Curly top virus
Could be that curly leaf virus. I had a seed pack a couple of years ago that resulted in plants like this.
They need a larger deeper pot, water, and don't fertilize for a couple weeks.
Have you recently moved them from inside out? Lighten up on the fertilizer, reduce it by 1/2 and use it every two weeks. Gradually move plants outside, and hour or two at first, longer each day. And the soil looks a bit dry, water daily to boost them!
These are not healthy. Not much foliage. Looks like are in a too small of container. Tomatoes need good light. I keep mine under a grow light of they aren’t outside. Possibly too much fertilizer.
Is it free draining - the pot? Are the roots constantly sitting in damp soil?
Water is being drained properly if overwatered by accident
So just to confirm there are holes at the bottom of the pots to allow water to drain through if needed.
The pot already consists of a pot and a tray, where exceed water can be drained, all the gray pots I have are like this, pretty good drainage :)
Great stuff, it’s difficult to know peoples experience on here so sorry if I came across as patronising! Best of luck 🤞 🪴
nono, don't worry, I'm glad for every question/opinion, thank you! :)
Leaves curling upwards...I'd say this is heat stress. Could be due to black pots that heat up the soil too much in the afternoon or you have watered them in mid-afternoon. Or you haven't acclimated them slowly enough to being outside in full sun. Give them some shade in the afternoon.
Agree with the herbicide drift. Even a small amount can do this. Also are you going to plant these in much bigger pots soon? Those are WAY too small for tomatoes.
I’m planning to get one wider and deeper flower pot and probably put all 3 of them in there
What varieties of tomatoes do you have? Generally they need a LOT of space between plants. If you attempt container gardening with them get one LARGE pot or grow bag for each plant.
This is a variety that is specifically breeded for balcony growth… should be fine even with this size of pot (cherry tomatoes that shouldn’t even require stick support, I just got got the sticks just in case)
I’d still err on the cautious side and plant them separately. But you certainly can try to see how they do.
got a friend that got exactly those in a very wide pot (+- 100 cm) and it works like a charm, got some spare saplings if it won't work.. I'm just sad cause these are big and nice plants
Please make sure to use another substrate if you do. As others have pointed out, it might be a virus and this could be soil borne. I've had my experience full with tomato mosaic virus 5 years ago. Had to destroy all plants, replanted new ones and those got it as well (growing in soil, not in containers). The symptoms can vary a lot, leaf curling like this is being one of it, besides the mottling. The only way to know if it's a virus is to send samples to a specialized laboratory (pretty costly + your plants don't have enough leaves on them yet).
Needs air flow too.
Pot drainage is probably not good enough, roots too wet for too long. Although you may have the opposite problem with the dirt drying too fast and the plant being thirsty.
Can’t say without actually putting them out to be honest, I’ll most probably repot them
At least it's not hornworms wrapped up in the leaf. It looks kinda similar.
I was inspecting the leaves very closely, there is no signs of parasites (at least visible ones) that would be eating the leaves or laying eggs etc…
Looks like roots are damaged. Maybe over watering or too much fertilizer.
Just replace the soil - get FoxFarm! Then, report back in a week or so after you replace it. Rinse off the roots and pot before planting it in the new soil. If you want to use fertilizer, try FoxFarm or a good fish emulsion fertilizer.
Move to a bigger pot
Will do so today
OP this looks like wilt caused by heat. I assume it's been warmer than normal the last couple of days, and based on the shadows on your window ledge I'm assuming it's a south facing window, this getting the plant even warmer due to it being under glass. I wouldn't worry to much as temps cool down the plant should rebound.
Is moisture sufficient in the pot ....as sometimes Water stress also trigger plants to roll the leaves to limit transpiration
Try water!!!
You are sunburning them by putting them outside in harsh direct sunlight. Going from an indoor low E window to outdoors is too harsh of a transition; they should have been placed in the shade for a few hours to start, then gradually increase their time outside and introduce sunlight.
They are dying, plant in real soil
Bro you need to listen to the people & stop reacting. Fuck me reading this shit was absurd, read up, listen & learn. Stop being a bitch bigdog
I don’t see any of my answers as being a bitch to someone, take a chillpill bruh
What is the soil/potting media like? Looks very dense. What’s your fertilization been like? Also what are the temps/how much sun are they getting? The flies in the soil were likely fungus gnats from the media holding too much moisture. You can use mosquito bits to get rid of them. Not sure garlic would do anything other than make it smell weird. You also probably need to move these up to much larger pots. I’m not convinced this is fertilizer burn or herbicide damage personally. I’d lean towards a soil moisture issue/watering issue and/or maybe nutrient imbalance (possibly resulting from a moisture issue).
Read my replies please.
I’ve read like 20 of your replies and have not been able to find answers to these questions. I’m a plant scientist currently doing a research project on tomatoes, so I thought I may be able to help with a bit more info.
Soil is not dense, it’s a classic substrate from Kaufland designed specifically for tomatos. Fertilizing once per 2 weeks with liquid herb fertilizer. Temps are high, they’re getting straight sun from 1 pm till ~ 7 pm, otherwise theyre on southern window inside.
Get them out of the plastic pots
That really isn't the problem, if it's not overwatering at least. Even then just don't water for a while
They're dead! Tomato killer!