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just1tomatoplantplz

Over-fertilized?

Hello all!

Back again with new tomato plant questions, with pics. :)

Would appreciate any help/ideas!

New to gardening this summer, and have had my fair share of ups and downs with all of my plants...vegetables and flowers alike...but NONE of them have given me as much trouble and heartache as my tomato plants!

After posting a few times on here and reading up on the subject, I came to realize that tomato plants are probrably the most finicky plant to grow in a garden.

All 5 of my plants are still alive, and producing fruit. I even revived what I thought were dead tomato plants out of the compost bin! HA!

I have had the pleasure of enjoying 1 ripe patio tomato, and 5 husky reds. Wow! How exciting and different the varieties taste! Excited to try the others, that is, if they 'make it'.

Unfortunately, they are all sick with 'bacterial speck' and I have been meticulous about spraying and pruning off the bad spots.

Yesterday was fertilizer day, so I fed the tomato plants. All seemed well/fine. Today I fertilized the other plants, and accidentally re-ferted one of my tomato plants (idk what I was thinking...)

This evening I went to check on my plants and noticed that the one that got a double dose of fertilizer was looking funky.

All yellowey and crispy/curly leaves.

I'm thinking this is a reaction to the fertilizer so I decided to flood the plant out. Hoping to clean the soil of the excess fertilizer.

So, that is what brings me here.

Does this look like an overfertilization issue?
Something more?
Can this plant recover?
What should I do?
This is a big boy variety with fruits setting.

Thanks for any help!! :)

Comments (20)

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    whole plant pic

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    close up of a leaf

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Also, I noticed that the veins seem kind of purple.

    Any correlation to over/underfertilization?

    I'm in zone 6b, I think.

    Thanks for any help! :)

    This post was edited by Just1tomatoplantplz on Fri, Aug 1, 14 at 21:03

  • goodground
    9 years ago

    I think over fertilizing usually results in burnt leaf tips which i don't see in the first pic. Possibly over watering? The other plant looks much greener. When you fertilized same plant the second time, did you also water the other plants without fertilizer?

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you for responding goodground!

    Yes, I did water all of the plants at the same time.

    However, this was the only one that received a double-dose of fertilizer.

    NOW i'm worried that I just drowned this guy out!

    If it wasn't over-watered before...NOW it is.

    I was just trying to flush out any extra fertilizer from it's system.

    Hoping it recovers.

    Thanks for your input!

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Also, wanted to ask...

    Is it safe/possible...to dry out the soil with a hair dryer?

    Does that seem insane to you?

    Thanks for any advice!

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    After googling some images I came across this

    http://msucares.com/crops/comhort/tomatodisease/images/iron.jpg

    Wonder if my plant has an iron deficiency.

    Looks almost identical.

    Oh no...it says it's a common problem when roots become waterlogged!

    What to do?

    Can I transplant into new soil? Can this plant be saved??!?!?!?

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The plant is in a bag...I have some good soil left..

    Thinking about it....

    Help! Any advice?!!

  • Weicker
    9 years ago

    Don't take a hairdryer to it, lol.

    Use a wick to drain excess fluid. Use a piece of old t-shirt or cotton string or something. Stick it through a hole in the bottom, and let the other end touch dirt on the ground. Some of the excess water will be absorbed and run down through the string/fabric wick.

    Poking the soil (via bottom drainage holes or a small hole near the bottom of a grow bag) with a toothpick has a similar effect... helps allow more water to drain. A wick is more effective though.

  • Weicker
    9 years ago

    Transplanting at this stage would be VERY hard on the plant. At that rate, you'd be better off taking a cutting from a healthy plant and starting fresh from there.

    Just try wicking excess water first and take a deep breath. It's a learning experience... have fun with it.

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you, Weicker!

    Your advice seems more reasonable then using a hair dryer..lol. ;)

    I'm going to try to poke some holes on the bottom of the bag and/or wick out whatever excess fluid may be in there.

    One last thing...

    Wondering if I could use a fish fertlizer (spray?) to help the plant?

    Is that the foliar spray people are talking about on here?

    If it is a iron deficiency, would that help?

    Also, just dug out some rusty old nails in the basement, going to plant them in the soil tomorrow.

    Just want to get through this growing season....
    Plants....stay with me, here! LOL.

    Thanks for all the advice/insight! :) Happy growing!

    y

  • Weicker
    9 years ago

    Why are you putting nails in your soil??

    You just over-fertilized... so chill on the fertilizer for a week or so. A deficiency wouldn't likely show up over the entire plant in a single day... signs would be more gradual.

    It was either too much fertilizer or too much water. Do the wicking... then step back and relax for a bit. Water only when the soil is dry 4-6" deep. Let a week pass before you fertilize again, and then I'd apply it at 1/2 strength.

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Why am I putting nails in my soil?

    I don't know?!

    I'm just freaking out and trying to remedy the situation!

    I'll hold off on the nails and foliar spray.

    Just don't want my little tomato plant to die!

    Will wick/punch holes in a bit.

    Thanks again for the advice!

    (sorry for the kookyness!)

    Happy growing!

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    The best thing you could do for your plant is just leave it alone.

    And quit "freaking out" (as you put it).

    Plants will tolerate the occasional over-feeding. They will tolerate the occasional over-watering. Tomato plants tolerate flat out neglect better than they do all this obsessive fixing. You are worrying it to death.

    Dave

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Dave!

    You have been so helpful to me with your words of wisdom!

    I tend to over-think things, sometimes.

    Going to poke some holes in the bottom of the bag, wick it and forget it.

    No watering (for a few days) and basically just 'ignore' it!

    Thanks again for all the help/support!

    Happy Growing!!

  • lazy_gardens
    9 years ago

    I'm just freaking out and trying to remedy the situation!

    Throwing all kinds of remedies at the plant is likely to do more harm than good. And, you will never know what really happened when you made multiple changes and applied multiple remedies.

    Don't pull off every leaf with a blemish - plants can grow and produce with a mild case of almost anything. Avoid overhead watering and don't mess with the plants if the leaves are wet from rain.

    If possible, move the plants to an area where they get more air flow and sun.

    For better control of your watering, get a moisture meter and use it ... look at the dirt, feel the dirt, and match it to what the meter says.

    Keep a notebook of what you did and what you saw ... next summer you can look back and say "That worked ... this didn't".

  • digdirt2
    9 years ago

    Going to poke some holes in the bottom of the bag, wick it

    That is not leaving the plant alone. You are worrying about things that 'might' happen, things the plant shows no symptoms of happening.

    Poking holes and putting wicks in now is only going to do more damage to the roots. Leave the plant alone.

    Dave

  • Just1tomatoplantplz
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you both for your replies!

    Well, I relocated the plant to where it has more air-flow and privacy.

    Also, I didn't touch it!!!

    No poking holes, no adding nails, nothing!

    I decided that I am being obsessive and to just let it be.

    It is supposed to rain for the next few days and this plant is offered protection from the rain, until the soil dries out a bit.

    I have been keeping track of my gardening progress thus far, and I have learned SOO much!

    Ideally, having a raised bed would work best for growing anything. Maybe next year I'll start off that way.

    Thanks again for all the advice/suggestions!!!

    Happy growing!!

  • goodground
    9 years ago

    "Well, I relocated the plant to where it has more air-flow and privacy.
    Also, I didn't touch it!!!"

    How were you able to move it without touching it? lol
    The plant doesn't need more privacy, (maybe from you. lol) it needs as much sun as possible.

    "I decided that I am being obsessive and to just let it be."
    Good move...

    "It is supposed to rain for the next few days and this plant is offered protection from the rain, until the soil dries out a bit."
    Now this makes sense :-)
    Keep it in the sun but out of the rain until it recovers...

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    "Leave it Alone!"

    That is the best advice you've got.
    That plant looks normal. Prbably some leaf edema .

    LEAF EDEMA:
    Edema (or Oedema) on tomato plants is a physiological condition caused by an imbalance of the plant's water uptake and water loss. It develops when the plants roots absorb water at a faster rate than it is transpired through the leaf cells. The enlarged leaf cells divide, and then rupture. This rupturing of the leaf epidermis and inner cells causes the raised blisters and distortion of the foliage.

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