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Top Questions About Tomato Plants

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Questions About Tomato Plants

  • Answered by
    Heather on
    November 7, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It may be caused by tomato spotted wilt virus. A ringed appearance of lesions is a common symptom of this disease. This article will help:
    http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Virus_SpottedWilt.htm

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    11
  • Answered by
    milaniagreendevald on
    December 23, 2023
    A.

    Don't worry about it, I don't think it's a problem. Although watering tomatoes does have its own characteristics that are worth considering. Good luck!

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  • Answered by
    Heather on
    November 17, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It does sound like a disease. It is likely a blight (there are several) as these tend to move from the bottom of the plant upwards.

     

    There is not much you can do for the plant. While the fruit is safe to eat, it is recommended that you remove the infected plants and destroy them to prevent the disease from spreading. You will not be able to plant tomatoes or other nightshade plants there for at least 1 year, as the disease will survive in the soil that long and infect any nightshade plant that is grown there.

     

    This article will help:
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-diseases.htm

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    11
  • Answered by
    Heather on
    November 20, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    For tomatoes in pots, it is either a watering issue or a fertilizer issue. Make sure that you are watering them daily and add some slow release fertilizer (such as Osmocote) so that they get continual feeding.

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    10
  • Answered by
    oldspice on
    August 16, 2018
    A.

    To much water. Only water the plant when the soil has dried out 2 inches down the soil.

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    10
  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    November 23, 2010
    Certified Expert
  • Answered by
    Heather on
    December 6, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    I would also add that you should check the manufacturer's website. They may have a drip irrigation calculator for their specific product that will help you figure out (without having to do the calculations) what setting are best for your system.

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  • Answered by
    Heather on
    December 6, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    There is no set answer for this as drip systems vary and there are many factors that can go into this.

    But, I can tell you tomatoes need about 2-4" per week of water, including rain water and that it is better to water 1-2 times a week rather than every day and a slower flow is better than a faster flow.

    To figure out what is best for your system, place one of the drips into a container and let it run until the container is two inches full. If the container is 10 inches square and it takes 10 minutes to fill to 2 inches, you know that you need 1 minute per square inch watered for 2 inches. For each tomato plant, you want to allow for about 144 square inches of space to water, so in this scenario you would need to water for a total of 144 minutes per week.

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    10
  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    December 30, 2010
    Certified Expert
    A.

    It could be that very rich soil is causing the stems to grow too rapidly, which can cause splitting. If this is the case, the plant will recover and improve as time goes on.

    The other possibility is the tomato has Pith Necrosis. This article can explain more about it and how to treat it:http://u.osu.edu/vegetablediseasefacts/tomato-diseases/tomato-pith-necrosis/

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  • Answered by
    BushDoctor on
    September 5, 2017
    Certified Expert
    A.

    You can plant determinate varieties, or even varieties such as the patio type Red Robin.

    Or You could also use Plant growth regulators. Products like General Hydroponics Bush Load Decreases internodal length, but it can carry some toxicity if not given time to flush out of the plant's system. Sometimes up to 50 days, even.
    You can also use something like New Millennium Nutrients Decision, which is not so toxic but can still shorten the overall stature of the plant.

    The least toxic, and best method if you already have the plant established and can't get to these products... Is training the plants sideways. Make use of trellising and cutting the tops off of plants to force branching down the sides. As well as keeping it shorter, it can also improve the yield of the fruit. The trade off here is the time it takes for recovery after each cut. They can still attempt to bear fruit, but Won't really get going until they have had time to heal and settle. Hope this helps some.

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    10
  • Answered by
    Philipwonel on
    May 18, 2017
    A.

    Plant determinate or dwarf tomatoes.

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  • Answered by
    roll-tide on
    January 16, 2011
    A.

    You should plant bush type tomatos that only grow to 2 or 3 ft. or you can prune the tops off when they reach the desired height.

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