yellow tomato leaves

by Rosemary
(Matteson, IL)

I have two large potted beef steak tomato plants. The leaves at the base keep turning yellow, I have pulled them off but it happens again. I don't water more than wetting the soil. I don't let a pool form at top of soil. Some leaves at the base have little holes and I pull them off too. What should I do?

Doug says that you should 1) water your container until water pours out the bottom of the pot - every time you water. Little bits of water are less than useless in growing a tomato in a container. You need to make sure the water is all the way to the bottom of the pot so all the roots get watered. Failure to do this will cause the tomato to drop lower leaves and is the primary cause of lower leaf drop.

You'll also find your tomatoes will be slower growing if you don't water properly - or they'll get a rotting on the bottom called blossom end rot that is directly related to water stress.

You also need to make sure you feed your tomato at least once a week. If you're pumping water in the top, the fertilizer is going out the bottom. You need to replace this or there won't be enough energy to keep the bottom leaves growing well and they'll turn yellow.

Little holes in bottom leaves aren't an issue. Some beetle is likely having lunch. No big deal - it happens and I mostly ignore it with a healthy fast-growing tomato plant.

So as long as the tomato in the container is getting full sun, the problem exists in your watering and feeding.

good luck