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az_pamperedchef

Siberia Tomato Question

az_pamperedchef
13 years ago

I have a Siberia plant that has maters on it in various stages, but I'm noticing the leaves looked infected someway and it seems it's affecting the blossoms. Does anyone recognize what is going on and how to deal with it? Thanks for your help.

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Comments (6)

  • Bets
    13 years ago

    Hey chef,

    To me the plant looks stressed. I see that there is something on the leaves that you took a picture of, but I can't see it clearly enough to guess what it might be.

    To be able to suggest what might be wrong with your plant, it would be helpful to know more about the environment it is in. So, here are the "usual" questions:

    How large are your containers, what growing medium are you using? Is the container in full sun, part sun or shade?

    How often do you water? Have you checked the moisture of the growing medium or soil 3-5" below the surface? Is it dry, just right, or soggy? Are you feeding the plant? How often? What are the NPK values of any fertilizers you are using to feed it? What has the weather been like in your area?

    Any chance we can see a close up picture of the leaves that were off the plant with better lighting? Or other leaves with the same symptoms?

    The more information you can give us, the better the chances that someone can give you an accurate diagnosis.

    Betsy

  • az_pamperedchef
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Sorry, I don't know how to work the camera to get a better close up pic. Perhaps a description would be better...the veins on the leaves appear dark brown, like the color of tea. Some are wilty, not yellowing though. The plant is in a fiberglass planter about 12" diameter, planted with potting soil. It's on the east side of the house so it receives morning sun. Get watered every other day, on a dripper for 30 minutes (2gl per hour). I feed it a Miracle-Gro solution about every 2 weeks. I hope this info helps!

  • gardendawgie
    13 years ago

    I have a Siberia plant that has maters on it in various stages.

    I would spray to kill off the maters. I hear they attack tomato plants and do a lot of damage. with maters in various stages it sounds like you have a real bad mater infestation.

  • oregonwoodsmoke
    13 years ago

    It sounds to me like the pot is too small.

  • Bets
    13 years ago

    I agree with oregonwoodsmoke, it sounds like your container is too small AND your plants are stressed because the growing medium is drying out too much between waterings. One of the reasons that larger pots are better for your tomatoes is that the variations in moisture is tempered more, it fluctuates less. Most container gardeners will suggest a minimum size of 5 gallons for a container to grow tomatoes in. (And in this case, bigger is definately better!)

    GardenWebber sprouts_honor (Jennifer from Cleveland) had a wonderful suggestion on how to tell whether or not you need to water your tomatoes, and I quote here: "Get a wooden dowel rod (or two) and sink it in the ground near a plant or two and leave it. Pull it out when you think you need to water. If the top is dry and the bottom is a little damp, it's time to water. If it looks dark and feels saturated, wait to water. I use this technique with potted plants that don't like being over watered and it's helpful with in ground plants too."

    I am not sure about your "Miracle Grow" feedings re:
    A.) There are several types of Miracle Grow with different NPK values. Some are good for tomatoes and others are not. You don't want one that is high in nitrogen. An NPK ratio of 3-4-6 is pretty good for tomatoes.
    B.) With a pot that small, I have to wonder how much of your Miracle Grow gets washed away by watering before the plants have had a chance to utilize it.

    I hope that helps.

    Betsy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Container Gardening Forum

  • trudi_d
    13 years ago

    I would spray to kill off the maters. I hear they attack tomato plants and do a lot of damage. with maters in various stages it sounds like you have a real bad mater infestation.

    I hope this is sarcasm.

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