Hi all! My tomatoes have been in the ground for about 3 weeks. It has been rather dry in Iowa but for some reason I don't think dryness is the problem. Here is how they were planted...in the bottom of the hole we placed half a banana peel...then after 1 week we put some tomato fertilizer stakes near each plant. No pesticide has been used, and I have gave them a weekly drink of water (because of the lack of moisture.) Now the branches are firm but the leafs are curling along with stiff leafs. New growth is sort of "shriveled." What do they have? (no sign of insect infestation) Viral? Bacteria? Over-Fertilization? Lack of Moisture? I just don't know...Need some advice. Thanks! Image link:

Overwatering will also prevent nutrient uptake, known as nutrient lockout. It could have had some air freshner or cleaner mist sprayed in it's direction. I've seen many plants decline even behind sunny office windows, certain windows block the specific UV's needed by leafy plants. Get it into a larger pot, add more potting soil and maybe a bit of fertilizer if the new potting soil doesn't contain any. Trim the worst looking leaves asap and dispose of them as they can spread disease. It might just be easier to replace it with another plant, the larger ones are going on sale at the big box stores and nurseries, just try to pick one that is as green and healthy looking as possible.

Somewhat sadly, fungicides are mostly preventative. They don't kill fungus once it is established. Gurney's First Start™ Seed Starter is sterile. The ProMix stuff is peat-based, and I think it is intentionally not sterilized, but pretty certain not to be fungally infected. So I suspect that's not the problem. The fact that you have some experience doing seed starting makes this especially strange. I assume that you've kept control of the temperatures. 5 week old seedlings need fertilization. What have you used?

Yes and no. First the excess nitrogen needs to be removed and this may sound strange to you but you should feed the microbes sawdust, ground up twigs or cardboard. Feeding the microbes a diet low in nitrogen and high in carbon will force the microbes to consume excess nitrogen in the soil to live. The microbes main diet is carbon and nitrogen at a ratio of 24 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen and the items I mentioned have a ratio of 378 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen for cardboard and up to 500 to 1 for twigs and sawdust. They eat the carbon and turn to the excess nitrogen in the soil to eat, problem fixed. So get about a 1/2 cup of ground up cardboard, twigs or sawdust and mix into the soil. (you figure out how to grind them up) After a couple of weeks it's time to start feeding the plants again but only with the fish stuff DON'T use the Trifecta! It was a one time application only. Fish emulsion has a 5-1-1 nutrient ratio and right now your plant needs MORE potassium than nitrogen the fish stuff doesn't have, so 1/2 of a dried banana peel will do every two weeks. Fish emulsion has 3 to 5 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen so when consumed by the microbes they leave a lot of nitrogen for the plant to use. Adding any other source of nitrogen will be too much. But if you really want to make the plant healthy and happy get some alfalfa meal, it's rich in everything a tomato plants needs that the fish stuff doesn't. Cut the fish stuff in half and cut the alfalfa meal recommendations in half and you will never have a nutrient problem suffered by many who use pots to grow in. The plant that has already grown will never produce a flower or tomato and flowers will only appear on new growth so don't worry, and cutting off the bottom leaves didn't hurt it a bit. To be honest I never read your original post so I didn't know you mentioned no flowers, All I looked at was the picture.