I thought my tomato plant was just dying a very slow, twisted death, but it seems instead to be enacting a slow, twisted resurrection.
First it grew really tall really fast, then started wilting and turning brown from the top down.
Now, it’s suddenly growing new fresh greenery near the bottom.
Is this normal? The plant looks very not normal to me…. Click image for a closer look at its weird mutations.
I have yet to see any flowers or actual tomatoes since I got the plant in June.
On the upside, I’m happy to report I’ve successfully kept a plant for several months!
Hey Siel,
I’m going through the same thing. My tomato plant (that I purchased at Whole Foods) has always been pretty pathetic - starting with many blossoms and then only two turn into actual tomatoes. Then it wilted and dried up, but I have kept watering it, and low and behold it is growing another tomato and leaves are becoming green again. I attribute it to the spirit of the life force….it really wants to live - keep hope alive! Good luck with your plantie :)
Kim Hover
Comment by Kim Hover — August 30, 2007 @ 10:21 am
I’ve had similar experiences. Tomatoes grow so fast and big, that I think they are semi-doomed from the start in pots. I’ve had plants in the past go from looking great and starting to grow tomatoes to looking dead a week later. I don’t know if it’s because they just can’t get enough nutrients being potted to sustain the plant and the fruit. (Fruit, veggie?) However, that said, I have a tomato plant that is doing amazing currently and it is in a pot. My fingers are crossed. I had another plant that was growing tomatoes and sort of had that dead look going on, and the tomatoes had thick skins. I read up on why that might be, and I seemed to learn that tomatoes need plenty of water. Also, tomatoes love full sun. The more the better. If yours isn’t getting enough maybe it grew extra talling reaching for the sun? Anyway, maybe the second phase of your plant will yield some results! Oh and also, because your plant is organic, it could be bugs killing it too. There are some bugs (I forget the names) that latch onto the plant stalks and suck the sugar, thus drying the plant up giving it the brown and yellow curled up leaves. They look like tiny little fruit flies or something like that.
Comment by Russ — August 30, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
Glad to hear strange tomato mutations are not unique to me. What’s extra distressing is my nice neighbor downstairs has like 10 tomato plants growing in pots — and they’re doing so beautifully! The bonus is that he’s shared his bounty so I’ve at least eaten tomatoes grown in my building this season, albeit not on my balcony –
I think the tomato’s doing ok with the sun, but this bug issue is one I’ll now investigate — Thanks Russ :)
Comment by Siel — August 30, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
I think you must have planted your tomato seed upside down. ; )
Comment by Gift of Green — August 30, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
Hi. I stumbled on your tomato plant picture. Your plant looks like it got that tall and thin (spindly) because it was lacking light. (maybe you had it inside?) Also, when you transplant, you need to sink the plant deep for it to come back up thick and stought. Now, that is why it is so tall. It could have died for any number of reasons. My two best guesses are that it wilted of dryness and then got fried in the sun OR it was placed outside from the inside and got fried as it was not introduced slowly enough to the bright sun (hardened). Now, what has happened is, you have grown suckers from the stem. Those are all plants. You can pluck each one (they look like branches, but they are new plants.) and root them in water for a new set of just slightly less desirable plants OR you can pluck all but one or two to leave on the plant. What has happened is this: the top of your plant died. Once the top leaves die, the plant will grow no taller…..it can only grow out with suckers. All the energy from the roots and the nutrients is being focused on these suckers. By curbing all but say one, you will essentially have a new plant. Also, remove as much of the old plant as you can as that is just good housekeeping and disease prevention.
alainia
TomatoGirl
Comment by alainia — March 17, 2008 @ 7:36 pm
So sad! I’ve belatedly learned that when repotting tomato plants, I should even pluck off some of the lower leaves and plant it really really deep –
This particular tomato plant has unfortunately finally died under my “care” — but now I know what to do with “suckers” if I end up getting them on my next one — Thanks for the detailed advice, alainia!
Comment by Siel — March 20, 2008 @ 9:15 pm