One of the crops I’ve had trouble growing throughout my gardening journey is the mighty tomato. Yeah…let’s just say that tomatoes have given me a VERY hard time.
But every challenge is a chance to learn, and today, I’m proud to say I have a thriving tomato patch that produces bigger and better yields every year.
Today, let’s discuss some of the most common problems faced by tomato growers and how they can be fixed in no time using simple tips and tricks. Are you ready?
Tomatoes Giving You Trouble? Let’s Fix That Fast!
Human nature often tends to linger around extremes.
While some blame unfavorable weather/soil conditions for their gardening challenges, others only blame themselves and believe they can somehow control every variable. Either way is not optimal!
If your tomatoes are giving you trouble, it’s commonly because you might be making some mistakes with watering, fertilizing, or maintaining the crop.
Other times, poor weather conditions or pests might be to blame, but you can set up preventive measures to get as much control over these wild variables as possible.
Tomato Problems Every Gardener Should Know (And Fix Quickly)
1: Yellow leaves at the bottom?
Yellow leaves around the bottom of your tomato plants are common when the plants are still young. It’s typically caused by excessive moisture levels and a lack of nitrogen in the soil.
Fix: Trim the unwanted yellow leaves. If overwatering is the root cause, water only when the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch. You can also use a balanced fertilizer to improve nitrogen levels.
2: Curling or rolling leaves?
Although curling or rolling leaves typically aren’t that harmful in the long run, they can still be indicative of an underlying problem like heat stress, wind damage, or inconsistent watering.
Fix: The best fix for this issue is to provide your tomato plants with proper shade during hotter parts of the day and water them deeply on a consistent basis.
3: Blossom end rot (black spots on the bottom of the fruit)?
If you notice strange black spots on the bottom of your tomatoes, chances are that there might be an underlying calcium deficiency or watering issue you’re probably ignoring.
Fix: The fix here is pretty simple. You want to water the soil evenly, mulch around the base, and maybe mix some crushed eggshells into the soil for a calcium boost.
4: Flowers falling off?
Oftentimes, excessive heat and a lack of pollinator intervention in the garden can cause flowers to start falling off.
Fix: In this case, manual pollination using a soft brush might be your only option. If possible, cover up your tomato plants or move them to a less sunny spot when the heat becomes overbearing.
5: No fruit despite lots of flowers?
If your tomato plants are blooming well but produce no fruit whatsoever, excessive nitrogen levels in the soil or poor pollination might be to blame.
Fix: If you happen to be using a high-nitrogen fertilizer, switch to a balanced one immediately. Also, plant some colorful, nectar-rich plants like sunflowers or coneflowers nearby to attract bees and other pollinators.
6: Cracked or split fruit?
More often than not, cracked/split fruit indicates uneven watering or heavy rain after a long dry spell. Although cracks won’t exactly make the tomatoes unedible, they sure can’t be stored for long.
Fix: The fix for this is pretty simple – control water levels. Moisture should remain steady and consistent as the tomato plant grows.
7: Pale, spindly growth?
Spindly growth means that the stems look thin and weak, suggesting that they won’t be able to support proper foliage growth. This typically happens due to insufficient sunlight or overcrowding of tomato plants in one tight area.
Fix: As you may have guessed, the ultimate fix for this issue is to move your tomatoes to a sunnier location that allows the plants to bask in light for a minimum of 6-8 hours every day.
8: Tiny holes in leaves?
Tiny holes in your tomato foliage will often be the doing of annoying flea beetles and other chewing pests.
Fix: Add a tablespoon or two of neem oil into a gallon of water and spray this mixture onto your tomato plants to protect them from these unwanted visitors. You can also try planting basil or nasturtiums as companions to deter pests from your garden.
9: Wilting even with moist soil?
If your tomato stems are wilting even with enough soil moisture, there may be a deeper root rot or vascular disease (e.g., fusarium wilt) developing in the background.
Fix: You’ll unfortunately need to remove the entire plant if the stem is completely dark/brown inside. Practice keeping the plant pots/containers clean and rotating crops yearly to reduce the likelihood of disease.
10: Green shoulders or uneven ripening?
Again, this is most likely the doing of extremely high temperatures or sunscald.
Fix: Provide your tomato crops with some dappled shade, and ideally harvest slightly early. You can ripen the fruit indoors later on. Also, try mulching to regulate the inconsistent soil temperature.
Let’s Conclude
As problematic as growing tomatoes can be, they’re also super fun and keep you on your toes as a gardener. You might find yourself a bit annoyed and frustrated at first, but once you get the hang of common issues and ways to fix them thoughtfully and strategically, you’ll be an unstoppable tomato-growing machine!
