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Tomato plants - stunted growth
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Hi all,
I have some very small tomato plants of various varieties that I sowed a couple of months ago in some John Innes seed compost. They started off fine but their growth has slowed and pretty much stopped. They are about 4" high and not much leaf growth. I thought at first it was because it's been really cold, but we've had great weather this week, and still no change. So, I am thinking it's the compost I used is lacking in nutrients. Can these plants be saved? Should I repot them in a different compost or give them a liquid feed? If so, what should I be feeding them? I have some baby lemon plants that are also in the same predicament.Is it a nitrogen issue?
Many thanks for your comments !
I have some very small tomato plants of various varieties that I sowed a couple of months ago in some John Innes seed compost. They started off fine but their growth has slowed and pretty much stopped. They are about 4" high and not much leaf growth. I thought at first it was because it's been really cold, but we've had great weather this week, and still no change. So, I am thinking it's the compost I used is lacking in nutrients. Can these plants be saved? Should I repot them in a different compost or give them a liquid feed? If so, what should I be feeding them? I have some baby lemon plants that are also in the same predicament.Is it a nitrogen issue?
Many thanks for your comments !
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Where are they? indoors, greenhouse, outside?Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens0
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They are on a sunny window sill in the house. They have been outside this week.0
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It doesn't sound as if there is anything to worry about to be honest. 4" high is pretty high for the time of year. Mine are between 2 - 3" high. I see plenty at garden centers far high and toppling over which isn't good.0
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Mine started off far too leggy, so as advised in another thread here, when I potted on I buried them deeper in the pot (that was weeks ago). They're still mainly 2-4" but they've developed noticeably in the last couple of days
Why am I in this handcart and where are we going ?0 -
Thanks for your reply Linda. OK, maybe I'm being a little impatient then.0
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unrecordings wrote: »Mine started off far too leggy, so as advised in another thread here, when I potted on I buried them deeper in the pot (that was weeks ago). They're still mainly 2-4" but they've developed noticeably in the last couple of days
Yes, I knew you are supposed to bury them up to the top of the stem to help the plant grow stronger :O)
Mine are starting to look a bit bigger now. I have given them a little bit of feed and left them in a sunny spot. Maybe they just needed a boost of warm weather to get them going...0 -
Are you feeding them regularly? A dose of tomato fertiliser every 2 weeks should be applied throughout the growing seasonNorthern Ireland club member No 382 :j0
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I have also noticed a similar problem in some of my tomato babies, in that the ones in compost don't seem to be growing as well as the others in a more mixed soil. Which is odd as I thought it would have been the other way around but still pretty new to this so just trying a few different ways.
I've got mine on a sunny windowsill too but it seems that they are taking forever and some have only got one tiny leaf that seems to be taking ages to do anything.
I considered repotting again (as I'd repotted a couple of weeks ago from a tiny seed container to yoghurt pot) but given so small I thought best to leave them and see how they go to give the roots chance to get a bit more sturdy.0 -
Money_Grabber13579 wrote: »Are you feeding them regularly? A dose of tomato fertiliser every 2 weeks should be applied throughout the growing season
No, I am trying to avoid giving them to much feed. I was under the impression that you shouldn't feed tomato plants until they are setting fruit, otherwise all their energy goes into making leaves. The theory is that the plant needs to "think" it's about to die before it will produce fruit. That's what I heard anyway, and I am still learning and experimenting !0 -
wishuponastar wrote: »I have also noticed a similar problem in some of my tomato babies, in that the ones in compost don't seem to be growing as well as the others in a more mixed soil. Which is odd as I thought it would have been the other way around but still pretty new to this so just trying a few different ways.
I've got mine on a sunny windowsill too but it seems that they are taking forever and some have only got one tiny leaf that seems to be taking ages to do anything.
I considered repotting again (as I'd repotted a couple of weeks ago from a tiny seed container to yoghurt pot) but given so small I thought best to leave them and see how they go to give the roots chance to get a bit more sturdy.
Yep, it's a learning curve for sure! As long as they are not wilting or turning yellow, you probably shouldn't worry. As well as soil, it's worth experimenting with different varieties of tomato and cordon and bush types, like I'm doing (I managed to get some seeds at a seed swap so didn't cost me much). And remember, some tomatoes are harder to grow in our climate without a greenhouse. Which variety are you growing?
I can also highly recommend keeping a gardening journal. I have one which I started in 2008. I make notes about everything I have grown, what worked, what didn't work, etc and refer to it quite often.0
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