New Gardener - Tomato Wilting

6 years ago

tl:dr - potted heirloom tomatoes grown from seed, with small diameter stems(even though some are 5 feet tall), top leaves wilting in serious heat.

So this was my first foray into gardening and I went with Heirloom tomatoes. As this was my first attempt I didn't want to build out a huge garden without having some experience. I am in a heavily wooded are with tons of deer, so decided to build out the second story of a playhouse. Deer can't get to it, easy access for me, "re-purposing" an unused item.

As you can see, I ran string across to act as a trellis, and each plant has a stick with velcro tape around the stems for support.

I did not anticipate these guys growing as tall as they have. It's been difficult keeping them vertical.

The weather has been pretty severe here. Consistently over 90, sometimes reaching 95. I'm getting some serious wilting of the top leaves. On really hot days I was covering everything with a tarp, but some of the plants are so tall now that its not an option.

To the question. I'm getting flowers. Some plants a lot of them. But it doesn't look like anything is producing fruit. I read that tomatoes will protect themselves by not producing fruit if they are stressing out. Should I just water water often?

I buried them as deep as I could in the containers, but maybe too late in the season. I don't have any more space. Should I sacrifice some plants and get some bigger containers up there?

Also, my stems are really thin compared to some plants I've seen at stores. Not much more than a 1/4" for the most part. They grew tall, but the stems are not wide, which I imagine limits the throughout of moisture to the top leaves.

Any ideas/advice is GREATLY appreciated.

Featured Answer

Robert Zone 6A

6 years ago

The heat this year has made tomato gardening difficult in general.

90°F and up if hard for them, and being that they are potted plants, makes for an even more stressed tomato plant. Their root system can easily completely fill a 10 gal aquarium fish tank. 5 gal is really not enough without serious tending on the gardener's part. Watering every day, even twice a day when it's hot could be necessary (be sure to have good drainage).

That all being said, tomatoes also need allot of sun. Like at least 6hrs of direct sun. I'm afraid you aren't getting the needed sunlight. Granted, pictures don't do justice and you insist they do. So I'll reiterate the need for full sun and move past that one.

Genetics are another, very important factor. Heirlooms especially are susceptible to various stressors, like heat and sun or lack there of. Or, perhaps the cultivar is simply a thin stemmed plant? It's possible.

To try a fix for your plants this late in the season. I'd second the Fertilizing. Tomato plants are heavy feeders (like most fruit bearing plants). Id also ensure solid drainage in the pots, and increase watering.

You've also got the space, if hight isn't an option then go bushy. Judging from the natural vegetation around you, I'd say you got another 3 weeks of growth and flowing before any further fruiting would not have enough time to ripen before frost. Am i right in assuming frost around October?

Anyway, i wish you luck!

-Rob

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Comments (13)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
It’s hard to see the plants close up but I think one problem is lack of sun. The plants look etiolated.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
They’re getting a ton of sun. The trees lie to the south behind the platform, for they get sun for a good duration.
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Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Sorry for the photos. No angle that doesn’t include a backdrop of trees. Is that a tomato starting in that flower?
party_music50
6 years ago
With those photos it's hard to believe they get enough sun. Re the lack of vigor, what size are the pots, and have you been giving them plenty of water and fertilizer all along?
callirhoe123
6 years ago
To fruit, tomatoes need full sun all day. That doesn't look like your situation.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
watering them every couple days. Im pretty sure the pots are too small, 12” deep?. Some of the plants have those “hairs” running far up the shoot, they should probably be buried. Understand the concern over sunlight because of the background trees, but as soon as the sun rises above my house, they get blasted, and it’s for a long time. The tree coverage is behind the plants. 10am to 6pm?
party_music50
6 years ago
Have you fertilized them? I have the best luck if I water potted plants with a weak mix of fertilizer, but frequently. I use Miracle Gro... like 1/2 tsp per gallon of water.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
I also understand this is far from an ideal planting situation, but as I stated, I wasn’t ready to go full garden because my last attempt ended in the deer having a good meal. I just want the effort thus far to result in a couple pieces of fruit, so if there’s anything I can do right now, besides building a full garden, I’ll give that a shot. Being patient might be the thing to do.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
I’m using a granular fertilizer every couple weeks, and they were planted with rock phosphate under roots. I’ll grab some liquid MiracleGrow.
party_music50
6 years ago
I use granular MG -- not liquid -- but if you've been using a fertilizer all along, I'd expect them to be more lush with growth. Not sure of the wisdom of putting rock phosphate under the roots... I believe it should be incorporated with the soil to be beneficial.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
I’ve been pruning those “armpit” branches, per a few websites. Don’t know if that’s contributing to the apparent lack of foliage. Was told that helps keep the nutrients for the fruit.
Thomas Magill
Original Author
6 years ago
I’m gonna figure out a way to get more sun. The plants behind the front plants growing slower. Thank you for all the advice. I’ll try to update in a few weeks