Tomatoe plants drooping

10 years ago

We just had a tropical storm with 7 inches of rain. Now I have 7 tomatoe plants drooping like they are starving for water. It's like the tops are wilting. Why are they drooping or looking like they are starving for water when of course we just had all that rain?

Comments (6)

lgteacher
10 years ago
The symptoms of too much water look very much like not enough water. Ideal soil should be about 25% air, 25% water, 45% minerals and 5% organic matter. If you have good drainage, things should be back to normal after a while. Don't step on the ground where the plants are while it is squishy.
pk333111
Original Author
10 years ago
I have 16 plants and 4 of them which are next to each other are the ones drooping at the tops. All the others on that part of the garden are fine. Then I have 5 plants in another location all side by side and the one in the middle is doing the same, top is drooping. Most of the plant itself looks great except the tops.
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pk333111
Original Author
10 years ago
I have 16 plants and 4 of them which are next to each other are the ones drooping at the tops. All the others on that part of the garden are fine. Then I have 5 plants in another location all side by side and the one in the middle is doing the same, top is drooping. Most of the plant itself looks great except the tops.
sjetski
10 years ago
Igteacher is right, the plants will be fine.

Wait for it to dry up a little bit more before watering.
pk333111
Original Author
10 years ago
Why is it that just the tops are wilting or drooping and not the other plants?
digdirt2
10 years ago
There could be any number of reasons. Maybe the ground level is a bit lower there and so the water collects there. Maybe the soil in a particular spot doesn't drain as well - that is common. Maybe the soil grubs are thicker in that area. Maybe those particular plants weren't planted as deep so are more shallow rooted.

Maybe they are a different variety - you don't say what they are - and different varieties respond in different ways. Maybe before the storm even came those particular plants were already root stressed from over-watering or poor drainage - most people way over-water anyway - so the storm affected them more. Those are just a few of the possible explanations.

The tops, the new growth, reflect what is going on with the roots before the rest of the plant does so that is why you see the tops drooping - they are root stressed/damaged.

Bottom line is, just like any plant, they will either adjust to the growing conditions and recover or they won't and will die. But they certainly don't need more water. That would be the worst thing to do for them.

Dave