Your garden is probably in full swing and you’re starting to enjoy the fruits of your labors. How are your tomato plants doing? You may be seeing abnormal signs in your tomato plant indicating something’s not quite right. Let’s see if we can troubleshoot a few common issues with tomatoes.
This is called blossom end rot and is relatively common for tomatoes. It’s caused by a calcium imbalance in the plant. Avoid this problem by maintaining consistent water to your tomato plant (not too much or too little water). To treat the black bottom problem and end the season with some good harvest, pick off the affected fruit (otherwise they’ll just take needed nutrients from the plant and future fruit) and stick to a consistent watering plan. By doing these two things your tomato plant will most likely correct itself. Also, note that you can still eat tomatoes with blossom end rot–just cut off the black part.
If your tomato plant develops spots on the leaves, this is a sign of disease. Usually, these diseases start on the leaves closest to the ground. Remove leaves that have the disease (you can remove up to a third of a tomato plant’s leaves without harming the plant). To prevent disease, water the soil under the plant and not the leaves. Use mulch to cover the base of your tomato plant. Also, try not to plant your tomato plant in the same place in your garden every year. Note: Don’t can or eat fruit that has been infected by disease and have spots.
If you have a big green bushy tomato plant with just a few flowers, first check to see what variety of tomato you have, and the estimated days to maturity. Some tomato plants simply take longer to develop blossoms and fruit. Another likely cause is too much fertilizer or too much nitrogen in the fertilizer. Check the NPK of the fertilizer you applied. The first number (nitrogen) should not be higher than the other two numbers; otherwise, you are telling your plant to grow leaves and not fruit. If you have been using a balanced fertilizer, your plant could be over-fertilized, so wait to fertilize until fruit appears and is growing. Be sure to give your tomato plant consistent water, as an inconsistent watering schedule could also be the cause of lots of leaves and not blossoms.
If you come out one day and notice a whole stem or section of your tomato plant is missing, a Tomato Hornworm is most likely the culprit. Tomato hornworms are giant green caterpillars with a horn on their tail. They are capable of eating leaves, entire stems, and fruit of tomato plants. They can be devastating if not found. Tomato hornworms are excellent at camouflage and can be difficult to find. Manually removing them is the only real remedy to save your tomato plant.
If your tomato plant is drooping or sagging, this is most likely caused by a lack of water. As we’ve said previously, consistent watering is important to tomato plants. Tomatoes also don’t stand up if they are not getting enough sunlight, so make sure your tomatoes are planted in a sunny spot that gets at least 8 hours of direct sunlight per day.
For more detailed information on how to grow and harvest tomatoes check-out our Free Downloadable Vegetable Growing Guide PDF.
13 comments
bloosems few if any tomatoes
A little long-winded explanation, tomatoes the most Gardened revered fruit or veg. around the world. Do any of you remember what a Tomato use to taste Like? I live in Platania, Crete a portion of the year and have watched the destruction of the Tomato (That New white core that has to be cut out) they have introduced the Roma with little results they lack taste. I usual plant in May with Plant purchased from a Nursery west of use ( I start with a Six pack) with fresh soil mixed with compost from the field cow mainour. I make my trellis’s from river bamboo laced with twin. I dust with copper sulfate green powder/My growth is Off the wall/ tomato’s being harvested by the first of Aug / alone with the Basil and Zucchini “Black” a seed product from the US. along with Mustard green something not seen in Crete one of my favorites.! I also plant in the Family field around the Platania River spinach. What I’m seeing around the world where tourism has been proliferated is the destruction of the Family Garden fields in my area alone, I’m one of the Last. my neighbor across the street still makes his Mizithra cheese each morning from Cows milk, but he no longer has a garden. he still tends to his grapes and olives. our Family still a Garden only tended by the father the usual goats/chicken and rabbits they serve in their restaurant. I still have access to the family harvested Olive oil and wine and Home cured Calamata olives. NEWS to all the unread ( The Sahara dust that distributes pyogenic debris) around the world is some of our problems with the ever-expanding Saharra. And the other invisible anomalies Chornobyl Radiation. fallout. seasonal wind distribution exacerbated by the failed sarcophagus and fire .
My tomato plants are still less than 2 feet high with no fruit yet :( Zone 9, lots of sun, enough water, great drainage, hot weather…. three different varieties. I am so perplexed!
Hi! I didn’t know I shouldn’t eat tomatoes that had black spot on leaves…I have always done that…
Question: one of my plants developed tomato flowers on a leaf is this an indication of a problem?