Why are my cherry tomato leaves turning brown?

[Elisha007]

Giday all, I'm new here and I hope I'm doing this right 😬. Anyway I have had cherry tomatoes growing in pots for a while now. They are producing tomartos but I'm having a problem with the leaves turning yellow to brown and just dieing. Could anyone explain why this may be please 

Thanks 

Elisha007

[JaneK]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @Elisha007. Thanks for jumping in with this discussion.

Would it be possible to share a photo of your tomato plants. There are several reasons why tomato leaves may turn yellow from under watering to not enough sunlight. A photo would be really helpful. Let me tag @Noelle, @Adam_W, and @mich1972 who have a wealth of wisdom when it comes to gardening.

Jane

[Noelle]

Hi @Elisha007 

Once tomatoes have flowered, set lots of fruit and the tomatoes have ripened, the plants themselves have completed their work and will naturally die off.  They are 'seasonal' plants, which means they grow, flower and fruit all in the space of just a few months. The plants will now be spent and ready to be pulled out. Depending on where you live, this will generally occur at the end of summer or early autumn, so probably there is nothing to be alarmed about - it's perfectly natural.

Also, the lower leaves of tomato plants will yellow and die off as the plants grow taller - the energy goes into new leaves, flowers and fruits higher up on the plant. The lower leaves have done their job getting the plants started.

Doesn't sound like anything unusual is happening with your tomatoes.

[Elisha007]

Thanks so much for your advice. You explained things really well. I really appreciate it. I was wondering why my plants were all dieing at the bottom with more foliage up top. If I put the plants in a green house will the cooler seasons matter? I live in Murray Bridge SA and I know that the plants hate the wind and cold here.

[Elisha007]

Thanks so much for your reply. I will get bk to you with some photos as it's raining here at the moment.

I give the plants a little water every day. It's not enough to soak them but it's enough to keep them alive. I read that if your soil dries a bit and then I give them a big water, it can split the fruit which was happening.

I will get back to you with some photos ☺️. Thanks again for your reply

[MitchellMc · Accepted solution]

Hi @Elisha007,

It's great to hear that your tomatoes a fine! I'll include an image below of my tomatoes. As you can see, all the foliage down underneath has turned yellow and fallen off. You can also see some of the leaves which are now about to fall.

Make sure you stake your tomatoes up to full height. This allows more sunlight to penetrate the lower foliage. Let me mention @Noelle to see if she's heard of anyone that has managed to over-winter tomatoes.

Mitchell

[Elisha007]

Giday 

Thanks for the reply and thanks so much for sharing your photo. Your plants definitely look alot healthier than mine. 

I have staked my tomartos. It's a bit bodgie how I did it but it seems to work 😁.

Thanks again for your reply 😃

[Noelle]

Hi again @Elisha007 

Once all the fruits have ripened, the plants will be spent. You may be able to prolong their season a little by moving them into a glasshouse but they aren't likely to survive through the winter because they have already completed their seasonal lifecycle of growing, flowering and fruiting.  You may get the odd new flower but in reality they're probably 'done' and won't produce much more in the way of fruit.

[brendawebster44]

Hi, Upps sorry I see you have had expert advice already.Mitchell mentioned your yellow leaves needed to be thinned out in the middle to allow a decent air flow. True but I do this with all my plants I think of it as prevention rather than treat the disease. I do this to my geraniums otherwise they become sick with what I now know is a fungal infection and guess how that is treated ,with a anti fungal!! I learned about that the hard way until I joined Bunnings DIY go forth and prosper b🌺