Question
Hi,I am growing tomatoes in ,I think, 7 gal pots. Is this big enough? I am getting alot of leaf curl and some of my plants aren't getting any tomatoes on them. I water them twice a day,as it has been in the 90's plus in La Verne,Calif. where I live. Also the bottom half of the leaves on my "yellow pear" tomato plants are turning yellow.All my plants are about 2.5 months old. Also, all my plants seem sort of tall and gangly, with smalish leaves, but for the most part they are producing, especially the "yellow pear and "roma grape". Thanks for your help. This amature gardner appreciates all the help he can get.       Rube

Answer
It sounds like the size of your container is sufficient, so I doubt that is the problem.

Overfertilizing, especially with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as standard Miracle-Gro, can cause the type of symptoms you have described.  The high nitrogen levels can adversely affect the foliage on young seedlings and the high salt content in most synthetic fertilizers can result in root burn.  My advice, especially while the plants are still young, is to fertilize once every 14 days at half strength to prevent excess salt buildup in the soil.

Another option is to purchase a water soluble fertilizer recommended specifically for tomatoes.  Miracle-Gro makes such a product, as does Peter抯 and Schultz.  These tend to be higher in phosphorus and potassium which are essential for good production and larger fruits.

Overwatering can definitely cause leaf curl on tomatoes. This is especially prevalent when using containers with poor drainage.  The result is poor root development, and nutrients being leached from the soil.  Make sure you supplement the plants with 1.5?of water per week by watering very deeply once or twice per week.  More may be required during periods of drought.  Shallow watering causes the roots to reach for the surface instead of deep into the soil.  The result is weakened plants with little or no harvest.

One other possibility is that plant has become root bound. This can occur regardless of the size container you are using. Tomatoes should be transplanted twice to larger pots prior to planting in the garden. They are one of the few plants that actually thrive when transplanted. They also should be planted several inches deeper each time.  This allows the bottom of their stems to produce root nodules that result in a stockier and stronger plant.  It will also aid in increasing the harvest once the plant begins producing.

Finally, make sure the plants are well mulched with either straw or aged grass clippings.  This will help retain moisture while keeping the roots cool.  Next year, work in as much organic matter as possible to the soil.  This would include humus, compost, and manure.  And make sure you rotate the plants using a three year cycle to prevent soil borne diseases from affecting next year抯 plants.

The good news is that this condition normally corrects itself.  Use the techniques I described above and the problem should disappear shortly.

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike