there is a very hardcore tomato forum ... if it were in my yard.. i would note they are the oldest leaves.. the ones on the bottom ....and clip them off.. and walk away ... i would suspect.. while walking away .. that it has something to do with soil splashing on the plants... has it been very rainy lately??? i know the first maters of the year are coming.. and you want them.. and you worry .. but trust me.. in a month.. you will be beating this thing back with a stick cursing the day you planted more than one plant... leaving bags full in parked cars and running away giggling.. lol ... i just dont think with tomatoes one need 'worry' too much ... and if i wanted sprayed ones ... i would buy them at the store .... as i said.. i am sure those in the tomato forum.. would consider that blasphemy.. lol .. as will some here ... ken

bacterial speck, maybe?

Digdirt, I started my tomatoes in peat pots. If this isn't good for them, what do you suggest I use next year? I have a very small area to start them indoors, not really enought light. The area is small. What kind of containers are best to start tomato seedlings in? I haven't seen any small plastic pots sold at the store...Perhaps I could save small plastic food containers, like yogurt cups, and poke holes in them? The main point I was making above got lost in all the water pH discussion. ;) The primary problem is too MUCH water - thus the "cut your watering by half" comment. Yellowing leaves and limp lanky plants are most often a result of too much water and the resultant root rot. And watering them more only makes the problem worse. Peat pots further compound the watering problems as they wick up the water from the core of the soil into the pot and keep the outside edges where all the fine roots are developing too wet and kill them. There are umpteen things made of plastic one can use for growing plants in if you don't want to buy regular seed starting flats and/or cell packs which are not only cheaper than peat pots but readily available both in stores and online and re-useable. Around here plastic seed starting trays are sold at Lowe's, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, WalMart, Dollar General, etc. etc. and they can easily be ordered online as well. But many use plastic butter dishes, yogurt cups, cottage cheese containers, plastic or foam drink cups, etc. Just use your imagination and be sure to poke drain holes in them. ;) and want to make sure everything is sterile. "Sterile" is not an issue. Millions of plants are started in greenhouses all over the country each year and believe me - greenhouses are NOT sterile places. Clean is all that is needed. Seed starting mixes are as sterile as they need to be. The fungi that cause damp-off is in the air around us all the time but it is not a problem unless you over-water which 95% of us do. Damp-off is caused by over-watering, too warm growing conditions, and inadequate air circulation around plants. All of these points are discussed in great detail in the many FAQs and discussions over on the Growing from Seed forum here so be sure to check it out. Dave PS: An easy way to prove to yourself that you are over-watering is to split your plants into 2 groups. Water half your plants as you would normally and the other half of your plants half as often and at half the amount. You'll see the differences within 1 week and you'll never over-water again.

I am delighted to announce that both the original aspidistra plant and the offshoot I planted in a different pot are exhibiting new growth. For the record, I put them in a north facing window where they receive light but not direct light, give them one cup of water every 12-13 days, and left them alone. It seems July is the growing season for these plants, because it is also around this time last year that they put out new leaves. As for your yellowing Sans2014, I'm not sure what's causing it but I did find a pretty good site here where they may answer your question: http://www.ourhouseplants.com/plants/aspidistra From reading that site, it seems your problem could be caused by too cold temps (unlikely in July), too frequent repotting, or most likely overwatering. I water mine every 12-13 days and this is in July in Las Vegas, where temps in my apartment can reach 90 if i turn the A/C off before going to work. If you leave in a cooler climate, I wouldn't water it more than every two weeks, maybe even less.