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What’s wrong with my tomato plant?

6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago

My tomato plant grows in a container, gets watered daily, and gets full sun every day (7-9 hours unobstructed). Recently the bottom leaves started turning yellow and the leaves have started curling upward. The plant has no flowers or tomatoes.

I planted this in a compost-soil mix with dry slow release fertilizer (trifecta). I also fertilize once every two weeks. I recently trimmed the bottom yellow leaves off the plant but it still looks anemic. Please help!


Comments (18)

  • 6 years ago

    There are multiple things that could be In play, but the fertilizer schedule seems pretty intense, especially since the planting mix already contained a fertilizer. What are you using and at what strength? Why so frequently? Any pesticide use nearby?

    HU-107527398 thanked cecenj
  • 6 years ago

    Thanks for answering. No pesticide use. I mixed the dry Trifecta+ fertilizer into the soil in late May. That’s the only time I’ve used that fertilizer. I do add a fish emulsion fertilizer to this plant once every two weeks.


    I water without fertilizer every morning because the soil feels dry one inch down at the end of each day. Perhaps too much sun?.

  • 6 years ago

    Oh and I diluted the Fish emulsion fertilizer to the recommended strength of 1tbs per half gallon.

  • 6 years ago

    im not clear whether you fertilize twice a week as per your first post or every 2weeks as per your response. If the second then maybe that is not the problem. I usually use a wooden skewer plunged all the way down to see how wet the soil is midway in the pot. Is it possible that the pot is waterlogged? My tomatoes love sun and just look wilted if they begin to dry out. Let’s see if some others will chime in. it will help others to know where you are

  • 6 years ago

    I edited the original post for clarity. I fertilize once every two weeks.

  • 6 years ago

    The potting mix in your photo looks very dry... the easiest way to tell if it needs water is to become familiar with the weight of the pot when it's fully watered vs when it's completely dry. Once you know the weight, you simply have to tip the pot to feel if it's lightweight and therefore needs water.

    HU-107527398 thanked party_music50
  • 6 years ago

    The pot is way too small.

  • 6 years ago

    Pot is too small. Plant possible need calcium or potassium, or both. Get a device which will measures a moisture in the pot, it will tell you how moisture soil is, so you are not under or over watering it.

    HU-107527398 thanked Melena Mayson
  • 6 years ago

    has that thing even produced a blossom yet?

  • 6 years ago

    No it hasn’t.


    I have another tomato plant growing In an identical pot (10 feet away from this one but with same levels of sunlight and on the same watering schedule). The other tomato Plant looks great, has blossoms and 4 small tomatoes growing.


    I’m starting to think that this one might simply have a disease

  • 6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I really believe the plant has and excessive amount of nitrogen, and why I asked about any blossoms. The big curled leaves and thick leaf stems are a sign also.

    HU-107527398 thanked outpaientzero
  • 6 years ago

    ahhh I hadn’t thought of that. Thank you. Do you think it would be best to cut Back on fertilizer?

  • 6 years ago

    This is so very helpful! Thank you!

  • 6 years ago

    Kevin9408, what if one were to grind up banana peel in the blender and mix with water. Would that speed the potassium uptake?

  • 6 years ago

    Yes, it would speed up decomposition and the microorganisms will release the potassium as available potassium for the plant.

    At one time I dried out banana peels, weighed them for an average weight, calculated the potassium mineral in a gram (this data wasn't easy to find) along with the potassium requirement for an average tomato plant over an average growing season and came up with 3 to 4 peels. One peel won't do it, and they should be spread out over time.

  • 6 years ago

    @outpaientzero thank you so much for your advice. My tomato plant sprouted it’s first fruits earlier this week 🙌🏾


  • 6 years ago

    Glad I could help and hope you get a bunch of tomatoes.

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