Help! I think my tomato plant is dying. :(

[SmittenGarden]

And I don't know why? I don't really know much about growing tomatoes but my plant doesn't look right to me

I have three Tomato plants that I bought two or so weeks ago. I planted them a week ago last Thursday. All three in one city pickers self watering planters. Two are Heinz super Roma's are at the back of planter and one early girl in the front making a triangle. All of them have grown since I planted them.

The two Heinz look good aside from three leaves
Have gone yellow. One even has flowers growing already.

But the early girl is a different story.

I think it's sick. But I don't know why or for sure.
I've made an album of the plant I'm worried about here:
http://www.tomatoville.com/album.php?albumid=172

The little bumps on its stem near the base are really puzzling me

[Vespertino]

Oh no! I'm sorry about your little tomato plants! I'm only a novice so I don't know how to advise or even have an idea on what's going on. But I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. I'm sure the experienced gardeners will be posting soon with some advice.

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by Vespertino

Oh no! I'm sorry about your little tomato plants! I'm only a novice so I don't know how to advise or even have an idea on what's going on. But I hope you get to the bottom of it soon. I'm sure the experienced gardeners will be posting soon with some advice.

Thank you I hope so too it would suck to loose one so soon or it spread to the good ones.

[KarenO]

This looks like a stressed/drowned tomato. not sure what is in the container but how is the drainage? The bumps on the stem are called root initials or adventitious roots and while they can be normal, they are often a sign of over watering and poor drainage that damages roots.
We all learned by doing and I doubt that no matter what, this particular tomato is going to be producing any good tomatoes for you as it is too stressed to recover.
The good news is It's early in the season and so not too late to begin again with a new plant. I am not familiar with the container you have chosen but make sure it has drainage holes in the bottom so that you can keep your plant slightly moist but not wet. fill it with a good quality potting mix, not soil. full sun at least 6 hours per day and best wishes for a better result next time.
KarenO

[RayR]

It must be this one CITY PICKERS 24.5 in. x 20.5 in. Raised Bed Patio Garden Kit with Watering System and Casters

I agree with Karen on the symptoms. It's an SWC, so it doesn't have drain holes.
What kind of soil-less mix are you using?

[SmittenGarden]

Thanks Karen and Ray for responding

Originally Posted by RayR

It must be this one CITY PICKERS 24.5 in. x 20.5 in. Raised Bed Patio Garden Kit with Watering System and Casters

I agree with Karen on the symptoms. It's an SWC, so it doesn't have drain holes.
What kind of soil-less mix are you using?

This is exactly the ones we have. My avatar is a picture of them both (have two with zucchini in the other.) it has overflow holes on two of the sides and when you fill the reservoir you stop when the overflow has water starting to run out. According to instructions.

I followed the instructions of the planter and used potting mix not soil. We could only find miracle grow brand at the store so used that. And dolomite (thin layer near the top) finished with more potting soil and 3 cups of organic fertilizer. The instructions said not to use potting soil only mix) then I had to put a plastic mulch cover on as well. I also plastered the pots still in their containers (because the plants instructions said to, they are those degradable kind) so didn't really mess with their roots.

I guess I've been filling up the reservoir too often then I've been doing it every day. But assumed that the soil wouldn't take up more than it needed. But as we are in a warmer climate than I am used to, I just thought they would need it.
We also had a week of rain this last week and the humidity shot up. I guess it was just all too much. I thought the base of the plants looked more moist than they had been before the rain. I had been worried the moisture wasn't passing through the degradable pots.

So is there anything I can do at all to try and save this plant or at least stop it from happening to the two others?

How less frequently should I fill the reservoirs? I live in the Westside area of Los Angeles. So that's the climate I'm contending with..... Could it also be too much sun as well? That plant seems to be getting the brunt of the sun compared to the two at the back. Should I rotate the containers?

[KarenO]

not sure what type of fertilizer that is but 3 cups of granular fertilizer seems like a lot per container. can you use the system without the black plastic cover? then you can see your soil and judge it's moisture before adding water. I am wondering as well, depending on your weather how hot it gets under the plastic. Tomatoes do like warm roots but not to be "cooked". The plant will likely survive if you stop watering it for a while and let it dry out a bit but I always say mere survival isn't the goal. (The other two and the zuccini all look OK, just the early girl I would replace at this point) Healthy plants with nice tomatoes is the goal so I learned long ago not to try and resucitate sickly plants. Tomato plants are inexpensive and available everywhere so better to start over and get some nice tomatoes than try to salvage a plant that might survive but won't produce.
You just loved them a little too much we all learned the hard way, trust me.
KO

[Rockporter]

Did you put the fertilizer in a strip or did you just mix it into the mix? If you mixed it in then you are probably burning your plants roots. Please let me know how you exactly setup the dolomite and the ferts.

Another thing I gather here is that you planted three tomato plants in one city picker, just one indeterminate tomato plant to a city picker, those are not deep enough to handle three tomato plants roots. Two determinate or one indeterminate tomato per city picker.

[LDx4]

You're not filling the reservoir too often -- City Pickers are just versions of Earthboxes/Earthtainers, which work really well, and you can't overwater them if they're set up correctly. The plastic cover is part of the design and helps the container to maintain the correct moisture level.

I think Rockporter might have the answers to your problem in her comment above. Also, I don't think you should keep the plants in the "biodegradable" planting pots when you plant in the container. Many have noted that those pots are not all that biodegradable, and are still basically intact at the end of the season. Since the wicking action is so critical for success with self-watering-containers, you should remove the plants from the those pots prior to planting and put them directly in the potting mix.

Just my thoughts!

Lyn

PS: This might be a big clue:

I thought the base of the plants looked more moist than they had been before the rain. I had been worried the moisture wasn't passing through the degradable pots.

The degradable pots are causing the excess water to pool around the plants' roots.

[Dewayne mater]

From a water standpoint, another key is the soiless mixture. Not sure which you used, but, if the soil is staying wet all the time, that is a problem. I have one competitor made container and the mix they sent with it stayed wet and rotten smelling all the time. I dumped it out and put in RayN's a/k/a Raybo's 3:2:1 mix and it stayed moist, not wet from then on.

Dewayne mater

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by Rockporter

Did you put the fertilizer in a strip or did you just mix it into the mix? If you mixed it in then you are probably burning your plants roots. Please let me know how you exactly setup the dolomite and the ferts.

Another thing I gather here is that you planted three tomato plants in one city picker, just one indeterminate tomato plant to a city picker, those are not deep enough to handle three tomato plants roots. Two determinate or one indeterminate tomato per city picker.

In a strip through the middle in a trough and covered back up woth soil as that's what the instructions told me to do.

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by Dewayne mater

From a water standpoint, another key is the soiless mixture. Not sure which you used, but, if the soil is staying wet all the time, that is a problem. I have one competitor made container and the mix they sent with it stayed wet and rotten smelling all the time. I dumped it out and put in RayN's a/k/a Raybo's 3:2:1 mix and it stayed moist, not wet from then on.

Dewayne mater

Miricle grow brand potting mix. It's all OSH had that was potting mix not soil. But the stuff around the roots is mostly what was in those containers they came it. Idont know what that is.

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by LDx4

You're not filling the reservoir too often -- City Pickers are just versions of Earthboxes/Earthtainers, which work really well, and you can't overwater them if they're set up correctly. The plastic cover is part of the design and helps the container to maintain the correct moisture level.

I think Rockporter might have the answers to your problem in her comment above. Also, I don't think you should keep the plants in the "biodegradable" planting pots when you plant in the container. Many have noted that those pots are not all that biodegradable, and are still basically intact at the end of the season. Since the wicking action is so critical for success with self-watering-containers, you should remove the plants from the those pots prior to planting and put them directly in the potting mix.

Just my thoughts!

Lyn



PS: This might be a big clue:

I thought the base of the plants looked more moist than they had been before the rain. I had been worried the moisture wasn't passing through the degradable pots.

The degradable pots are causing the excess water to pool around the plants' roots.

Thanks does this mean I should dig them up and remove the pots? Or is it too late to do that?

[SmittenGarden]

Also what is the difference between a determinate and indeterminate? I didn't see those descriptions at all on the plants when I bought them.

[SmittenGarden]

I found the word determinate covered in dirt in small print. I didn't know there was two types so I didn't think to go looking for it.....does this mean I planted the wrong type of tomato? The container was touted as for growing tomatoes. And it didn't specify a type. I never thought to check. I'm that clueless.