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necessity

Plant is Ugly...Tomatoes Delicious

necessity
18 years ago

I have a Matts Wild Cherry plant in a terracotta planter on my front deck. I've read other posts and looked at pictures online and nothing seems to match what's going on. The plant looks pathetic. It hardly has any green leaves, but stands up straight and produces large amounts of cherry tomatoes. They seem to be a little small, although I've never grown this type before so I'm not sure what size they should be.

Attached is a picture that was probably taken a month ago. Now the leaves that were once green, are now all yellowish and black around the edges.

I use a fish/seaweed fertilizer every 2-3 weeks. Water it more often than the other plans because it's in the terracotta pot.

What is it?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b158/courtney270/mattswildcherry.jpg

Comments (4)

  • suze9
    18 years ago

    I've read other posts and looked at pictures online and nothing seems to match what's going on.

    FWIW, pictures are rarely going to match -- they are snapshots of a particular point in time.

    Yes, Matt's Wild is rather small fruited -- should be smaller than typical cherries.

    Pottted tomato plants are particularly prone to leaf loss and yellowing over time, especially at the base of the plant. For future reference, you can mitigate that somewhat by mulching the container (straw or light colored plastic, not wood chips). What this does is allow you to water less and maintain more even moisture levels, thus cutting down possible chlorotic leaves from overwatering. It also helps limit splashback of fungal spores on the plants.

    Can't tell from your pic if the leaves just look chlorotic or have signs of blight (or both).

    In MA, your season is probably winding down, so I don't know if I'd personally bother with a fungicide at this point (if blight).

  • tinarb
    18 years ago

    My MWC always looks kinda ratty - lots of yellowing, brown leaves, etc. But it just keeps growing and growing! The tomatoes are delicious and that's why I grow it, cuz it sure isn't ornamental. My plants get huge and they are also in containers - I can only think what it might be in the ground! :-)

    I think it's just the nature of the beast. I pluck off the leaves and the dead branches and try to fertilize 1x a week, and spray with compost tea 2x a month. IT keeps it somewhat healthy looking but still, when it's hot and it's ina container, it just does this.

    Enjoy those little toms! They are so yummy. I just snack on them constantly.

  • gailnewgarden
    18 years ago

    Looks a lot like what I believe are MWC in my garden and my tomatoes fit your description - small but flavorful. I have plants in the ground and in containers. The in-ground ones are more productive but the container tomatoes are still producing when nothing else there is. These plants are like weeds. My goodness I find their long branches all over my garden. Kinda fun!
    Gail

  • necessity
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I am VERY glad to her this is normal for the kind of tomato plant. Usually cherry tomatoes don't even make it in my house because I eat them as I walk in the door. But these produce so much that I have to bring some inside. I just couldn't figure out how a dead looking plant could give me so much!

    Thank you for your replies!