A tomato plant question

[pollypurebred39]

I planted a container garden for the first time. My husband does a big garden, but I wanted some different plants then he has in his. He looked at my tomato plant and said, "He's never seen anything like that before"

The question is this;

The bottom of my grape tomato plant is clearly in distress, leaves are changing color. One leaf has dried up and died. The top of the plant is healthy and producing food.

Should I clip off the distressed part of the plant so the plant can devote it's energy into producing food instead of supporting dying? leaves and shoots?

[Josephhgoins]

My uncle always called those bottom leaves suckers and would cut them off.

My experience is that they are not needed and it at least won't hurt to get rid of them.

[Contrary Housewife]

Mine do that all the time. There are various reasons for it. I would not worry about 1 leaf. If the top of the plant is doing well it may just be the lower leaves are not getting enough sun. Overwatering, and underwatering can do it. Don't panic just yet.

Things to watch for: black or grey spots on the leaves. This is fungus blight and you may have to destroy the plant. Also, yellow spots all over the plant is a virus, and you'd have to destroy the plant.

[Paws]

My uncle always called those bottom leaves suckers and would cut them off.

My experience is that they are not needed and it at least won't hurt to get rid of them.

Yep, that's what I do also.

[frugalfranny]

Should I clip off the distressed part of the plant so the plant can devote it's energy into producing food instead of supporting dying? leaves and shoots?

Yes, like JG said.....I would cut them off too.

If I get sloppy with my watering I will have a plant get a discolored leaf sometimes.......I cut it off.

When I plant mine I pull off the two bottom leaves and bury them beyond that point.......gives a stronger root system.

[nadine64]

I agree with everyone else. Take off the dead leaves/shoots. In fact, when my plants get pretty tall and really start producing, I take off about 2 feet of the leaves from the ground up. Allows more air to circulate, less problems with rot and too much wetness. Learned this from my MIL.

[Russ]

Nice tip Nadine.

[max915]

I have had that problem before and someone told me that when it rains if you have some kind of blight in your dirt the rains bounces from the dirt to your plant. So maybe lay some newspaper around your plant to protect it.

[CrazyCat]

I agree..it has something to do with the watering.... too much or too little.

I'm like frugalfannie....We take off the bottom sucker leaves before we plant them.

[alotofgooddeals]

I always do however i may not be doing the right thing....

I planted a container garden for the first time. My husband does a big garden, but I wanted some different plants then he has in his. He looked at my tomato plant and said, "He's never seen anything like that before"

The question is this;

The bottom of my grape tomato plant is clearly in distress, leaves are changing color. One leaf has dried up and died. The top of the plant is healthy and producing food.

Should I clip off the distressed part of the plant so the plant can devote it's energy into producing food instead of supporting dying? leaves and shoots?