Your leaf abscission issue is almost certainly light related, but it's possible that it's a drought response from over or under-watering (doubtful after 3 days). Incidentally, 3 days in total darkness is not long enough to cause leaf abscission, so the reduction in light exposure (if indeed it IS light related) occurred well before you acquired the plant. The 'nicking' is helpful for stimulating new branching from leaf nodes under certain applications, but given adequate light, the plant will attempt to replace the fallen leaves on its own. Whether or not/how you should tip-prune, sort of depends on the condition of the plant (vitality level). A picture or two would be very helpful. If you'd like more specific advice, send me a very brief email. I'll reply & then you'll be able to send pics. PS: Taller, wider, bushier is easy in this plant with some patience and adherence to supplying favorable cultural conditions because the plant is so genetically vigorous. Fortunately, we're in the best time of year to get your plant straightened around. .... ball's in your court. ;o) Al

I suggest you use whatever you can to raise the shorter plants so their tops are at the same height as the taller ones. I have used vaseline jars, coffee cups, bricks, small tupperware containers, and empty seedling pots to do this. If the plants aren't all about the same distance from the lights, you get a viscious cycle where the ones closer to the light grow faster than the ones further away. Another thing I do is move all the tallest plants to one end of the growing area with the shortest ones at the other end so I can hang the light fixture at an angle.

KerenR, As Dave said, leaf roll is a sign of stress and the most common cause is too much water. Even though the soil surface looks dry, clay soil generally does not drain well, and can even act like a tub if you have amended a hole for planting. Have you checked soil moisture 3-5" below the surface? GardenWebber sprouts_honor (Jennifer from Cleveland) had a wonderful suggestion on how to tell whether or not you need to water your tomatoes, and I quote here: "Get a wooden dowel rod (or two) and sink it in the ground near a plant or two and leave it. Pull it out when you think you need to water. If the top is dry and the bottom is a little damp, it's time to water. If it looks dark and feels saturated, wait to water. I use this technique with potted plants that don't like being over watered and it's helpful with in ground plants too." I find that is a simple way to monitor the moisture level in the soil where it counts, at root zone. You don't say how long it's been since you planted the basil and marigold seeds, but I think they should have sprouted by now. You may need to mist the soil surface 2-3 times a day to get them to sprout, since it looks like the surface is very dry. If you just moisten the top inch or so, it should not add any more stress your tomatoes and might germinate your other seeds. If they don't sprout, you may want to start some in some soilless potting mix and transpant them to where you want them. As some of your FB responses noted, mulching will help even out the moisture and add organic matter to the soil. After you have pulled your plants this fall, you may want to till in some compost or well aged manure to improve the soil. Betsy

The plant needs more light. It's too far from the window. When leaves fall out because the base is brown and soft, the problem is likely to be excessively wet potting mix. You said you water when the surface is dry. How far down is it dry? Stop using fertilizer for now.