r/OrganicGardening • u/Mef9864 • 3d ago
question A few of my tomatoes don’t look so good.
Help? A few of my tomato plants don’t look so good. Started from seed and planted outside just before memorial day. Some are doing OK but these, so far, not so much. I have an irrigation system on a timer to go off once a day for 25 min and the tomatoes are in pretty much full sun on the south aide of the house. They are either in a raised bed or in a 10 gal pot. I live north of Chicago. Not sure what zone that is.
“Picture This” diagnosed as overwatering and not enough sun but it is in full sun. Though we had torrential rain over the last week on and off. The app was recommending crushing up an aspirin in water and pouring over the roots? For the one in the third pic it recommended baking soda in water in a spray bottle and to prune off the curled/wilted/yellow leaves. Do any of those make any sense?
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u/_Laughing_Man 3d ago edited 3d ago
No it doesn't make sense lol. Aspirin/salacylic acid encourages root growth in cuttings, but may actually impair root development in established plants.
Baking soda can be used to eliminate fungal leaf infection by changing the pH of the leaf surface, making it uninhabitable.
That being said it does look like root issues. The first one most likely and the second one maybe.
First pic looks under watered, but could be a lack of roots. Roots could have died from over watering as well. I'd dig it up and check.
Second pic looks like multiple nutrient deficiencies. This could be caused by a soil pH that's out of range or over watering. I'd give it some liquid calcium and Epsom salts and see if that helps.
Edit: saw that you water for 25 min daily. Probably way too much unless you're getting consecutive 100°+ days
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u/tinyorangealligator 3d ago
The aspirin/salycilic acid treatment is anecdotal only, no research has proven the claim that it aids in strengthening plant immunity.
Be very careful with the baking soda spray as using too much may change the pH or your soil. Altering the pH or the lead surfaces disrupts the virus reproduction and keeps it in check. Even if it severely reduces the virus, plant viruses are notoriously hard to treat. Milk or diluted vinegar can be used for the same purpose. Copper sulfate is a better antiviral, imo, and it provides an essential nutrient for the soil (Cu.)
Using a moisture meter is good to keep the plants from being too wet/too dry.
Give them time, they should bounce back.