skip to main content

Why are my tomato leaves drying up?

Michael.Masztal

11 years ago

I have been growing lettuces and herbs for a while now with good success so I though IÃ¢ÂÂd try tomatoes. I started with heirloom Cherokee Purple seeds and transplanted when they were a few inches high. I grow DWC (3 gals water) under full spectrum LED (200w, 5w bulbs ~18" away). GH Flora, Bloom, Micro ~800ppm, pH ~6.5. They initially grew thick stock and stems and large dark green leaves. About a week ago the leaves started to dry up (without turning brown). They would open up and within a day, dry up. The new leaves are also quite a bit smaller.

Any ideas? I read that heirlooms donÃ¢ÂÂt do well in hydro setups.

Thanks.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

grizzman
11 years ago
Inspect your root system. make sure you have enough water in the system. check where the stem comes out of your medium for signs of disease. From what you wrote, it sounds like the leaves source of liquid is being lost. That is why I suggest what I did.
eircsmith
11 years ago
Yes Ã¢ÂÂgrizzmanÃ¢ÂÂ youÃ¢ÂÂre right. The suggestion you had given to Ã¢ÂÂMichael.MasztalÃ¢ÂÂ. It seems to be right. But GH product he used that can also occur problem. What your suggestion?
Related Discussions
Tomatoes leaves drying up
Q
Comments (7)
Thanks Dave and Howel. My father-in-law follows The Garden Master system http://thegardenmaster.com/. I got some hand me down 5 gallon bags from him but they were not holding up well so I bought what I thought were 5 gallon nursery pots on Craig's list. They turned out to be 3 gallon. He feeds his once a month but it is a special concoction he got from the system. I guess his stuff is extra potent and that 2 gallon difference is significant. I will up the foliar feeds to weekly and see if that helps. I was not aware of problems with using granular fertilizer in containers I will definitely look into that. I was leery of using a synthetic fertilizer precisely because I wanted to establish some good bacteria and was afraid synthetics would be a detriment to doing that. The rest of my veg looks good but maybe I will run into similar problems as they mature. Thanks again for the help!
...See More
Why are my leaves turning brown and drying
Q
Comments (26)
Yes, looks like transplant shock. Even if you water a lot, the roots aren't established enough to bring the water to the leaves and they dry up. And they can't resist the sun, so they burn. I would simply remove the burned leaves. You could shade them a bit or even mist them to cool them off and prevent them from losing internal moisture. And lay off the MG. MG is great for annuals and tomatoes, but for roses, organic slow release fertilizers are better. Once the roses are established, you can give them MG once in awhile for a boost, as long as they have other food available.
...See More
why do my tomato leaves curl up
Q
Comments (2)
It could be stress, too much sun, insufficient roots for the amount of sun, overwatering, lack of acclimatization, etc. Some viruses have that as a symptom. The variety might be used to a more temperate climate. I would remove the oldest leaves of the plant if I were you (although that is experimental advice to stimulate new leaf growth, which leaves might not be as prone to curling). Maybe give it some extra potassium/phosphorus, too, to help the roots (without adding extra nitrogen, unless it's already low nitrogen). If your tomato is determinate, you may want to be more careful about removing leaves.
...See More
Why are my rose stems drying and leaves falling
Q
Comments (7)
Vermicompost could be too rich. If they were mine, I'd get perlite, and lighten the soil 50% 50%. If I could find some tree bark, or even broken up twigs I'd go 30-30-30 and add some "peanuts" which are styrofoam packing materials. I'd remove the roses from the pots one at a time, very gently and soak them in water with an aspirin dissolved. Then I'd sniff (yes, smell) the soil that's in the pot. It SHOULD smell 'fresh' and definitely not smell bad -sulphurous- stangnant water-like. If the soil smells bad, it should probably be put out to dry thoroughly in the sun and then used as a fertilizer rather than as a soil.
...See More
ethnobotany
11 years ago
Sounds like heat stress or nutrient burn in my opinion but then again I'm not entirely sure what your setup looks like or exactly how the leaves/plant looks without a picture. I doubt the LED lights are the cause. You may have low humidity in the room?

Like grizz said, it could be stress from blight or another type of disease that began in the root system.
grizzman
11 years ago
EricSmith;
Please refrain from slandering GH if you've never used it. Many people on here, including myself, have used it and used it successfully without any recurring similar issue. the nutrient is not the problem.
I will ask again, do you work for Advanced nutrients? It seems every post you make either pushes AN, or tries to diminish some other brand of fertilizer. so to put it like the late Jerry Garcia used to:
"Please don't dominate the rap jack, if you've got nothing new to say."
Michael.Masztal
Original Author
11 years ago
Set up is in a laundry room. Temp range between 73-78, RH about 55%, ~800ppm, pH ~6.5. Water levels are consistent. The leaves started their changes when fruit started to set (small, I have the same problem with the plant adjacent to it with a top drip system. I'm beginning to think it's that the seed doesn't do well with hydropinics. I ordered some "Trust" and "Big Dena" breeds and will try those when they arrive.
ethnobotany
11 years ago
To date I have never had a problem with any type of tomatoe in hydroponics. While you shouldn't rule genetics out as a factor, I don't think that is the issue.

One thing that caught my eye is you said water levels are "consistent." What amount of water might that be in terms of total volume?

Also, what do the roots look like? Can you provide pictures?
Michael.Masztal
Original Author
11 years ago
Ethnobotany- I have 3 gallons in a 5 gallon bucket. The root system is well developed. I may take a photo later.
ethnobotany
11 years ago
Pictures would help. Sometimes with larger plants, especially water suckers like toms or cukes, they will eat water faster than nutrients. This means the nutrient solution increases in its EC/ppm values as there is now a greater molarity due to smaller amount of aqueous matrix.

Do you measure EC/ppm everyday, or just when you refill the reservoir?

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

FALL GARDENING 5 Ways to Put Fall Leaves to Work in Your Garden

By Therese Ciesinski

Improve your soil and yard the organic way with a valuable garden booster that grows on trees

LIFE Kitchen Traditions: Tomato Season Meets a Family Legacy

By Tiffany Carboni

Somewhere a Sicilian great-great-grandmother is smiling at a bowl of American-made sauce

ARCHITECTURE Houzz Tour: Fresh Ideas in a Former Tomato Packing Shed

A formerly metal-clad structure is now a beautiful wood home designed to capture the light and preserve open space

LAUNDRY ROOMS Room of the Day: The Laundry Room No One Wants to Leave

By Becky Harris

The Hardworking Home: Ocean views, vaulted ceilings and extensive counter and storage space make this hub a joy to work in

DECLUTTERING Downsizing Help: Choosing What Furniture to Leave Behind

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

What to take, what to buy, how to make your favorite furniture fit ... get some answers from a homeowner who scaled way down

GARDENING GUIDES What's Wrong With My Plant? Leaves Often Hold the Clues

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Learn how to identify common plant ailments by reading their leaves

REMODELING GUIDES Interior Brick: Paint it or Leave It?

Here's how to know if covering that brick is a sin or solution

GREEN BUILDING Students’ Award-Winning Home Leaves Small Footprint

By Claire McCall

A cost-effective, solar-powered New Zealand prefab home has good looks to match

DECORATING GUIDES 9 Easy Ways to Decorate With Autumn Leaves

By Vanessa Brunner

Give your home a burst of color that can be used Halloween through Thanksgiving

Sponsored

More Discussions

Crop diversity question

0

Aerogarden Mucky growing condition - I'm new to this......

0

Perpetual yield strategies

1

Basement hydroponics

0

Best hydroponic fertilizers

0