Tomato plant dying :(

DaftyDuck

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

As I understand it isn't yellow leaves a sign of a mineral deficiency, usually magnesium. This wouldn't normally be in a general plant/tom liquid feed. I would try potting it on into a bigger pot if you can.

Ali x

... the problem with tomato feeds and magnesium deficiency is not least that they have a very high potassium level, and potassium is selectively taken up - and preferably taken up as well - by the same pathway as magnesium.

The plant needs only a very little magnesium but overdosing with Tomorite effectively prevents the plant taking up any magnesium at all. Made worse by the fact that all of us react to a sickly plant by bunging more fertiliser (and often more water) at the poor blighters.

tim_n

the-mango wrote: »

I don't know if you can tell from the picture but it's sitting on a desk right by the window (if anything it would shade out teh other plants)

I thought it might be too much water so I've stopped watering it and will just water it a little bit now on.

I thought it might be over fertilised - I put coffee grounds near it... Probably not a good idea.

unforunately I live in a flat and I'm not going to my house for another week so it will have to live in that pot (and survive a train journey!)

You might want to switch brands of coffee , or try fertilising with a liquid feed. It may be taking too long for the coffee grinds to break down.

Some interesting info in the comments: http://www.sunset.com/garden/earth-friendly/starbucks-coffee-compost-test-00400000016986/

Torey StanleyWed 6/19/13 07:02 PM
The last 5 years I've been helping my cherry tomatoes by giving them the boost of Starbucks coffee grounds halfway down into the soil. Yet since I changed brands from JFG to Starbucks I've noticed a definite difference in the performance of these 2 brands of coffee. The Starbucks tends to turn the stems a yellowish color and seems to fail my plants by not helping but rather seeming to poison the tomato plants since I switched brands. Has anyone experienced what I am with changing from JFG to Starbucks? PLease respond and let me know if its's just my imagination or it's a factual matter. Thank you kind posters for your assistance. Torey


Art The BeveragemanFri 8/17/12 06:28 PM
There are a few things that have been missed in the report and comments. Coffee grounds contain a chemical in them the inhibit some plants to grow such as Tomato plants. Composting them will destroy this and then they can be used on those sensitive plants. I also till CG into my soil for some plants. I read a study that stated CG in land fills is one of the biggest contributor to green house gases. When you compost with CG above ground, the bacteria that break them down have oxygen to work with and do not produce the bad gases. When they go in a land fill, the bacteria do not have the oxygen to work with, because land fills are sealed with a layer of dirt, and then they produce the bad green house gases. Putting to much CG in the ground in my land produces orange and yellow fungus that covers the soil and the plants so use caution to how much you use.