tom problem in tunnel

I was given a tomato plant a while back and placed it in a raised bed in my tunnel ( tunnel, and gardening is all new to me I might add ) and I have to say it has grown big and strong with good trusses and developed fruit so far but the bottom leaves have curled about half way up the plant with yellow and brown patches. I have been feeding it when the first fruit started to show so I am not sure what the problem is and how to fix it if I even need to. according to my gardening book it seems that there is a possibility of overfeeding or waterlogged or not enough trace elements. This plant is still growing with 9/10 trusses so far and the lower 3 trusses full of toms and more starting to show on the others. I have thought about singing to it but this might just add to the problem.

Russ

 

Hi Russ, I don't think you have much to worry about. As trusses develop on my plants I remove the leaves below them anyway,and they are often showing signs of yellowing by then.

 

I should ignore it (unless the higher leaves on the plant are also discoloured). The bottom leaves on Tom plants usually look knackered once we get into the growing season. If they are completely knackered I would cut them off (up to the first truss).

There are other schools of thought that you should routinely remove leaves as the trusses ripen.

Personally I think that leaves produce the plants energy and I won't remove them until they are fully-knackered (technical term!)

 

I have removed the bottom leaves and have added them to my compost heap, on anther note I also removed yesterday my very first tomato ever and split it 50/50 with the wife reminding her that the same applies with her lotto tickets.

Russ.

 

yes its a magic moment when you share the first toms with her indoors. Now we are enjoying a great mix of different varieties which i bought on ebay early on in the year. I too became worried at leaf problems as last year i suffered damping off in the tunnel through lack of ventilation i guess, cured that this year by leaving doors open with a wire net accross to keep out the neighbours cats. i do like to take off the lower leaves though as a precaution and let air and light to the lower trusses.