Hello all! Thank you for taking the time to look at my poor baby. This is my first ever tomato plant. I got her summer 2024 and pulled her inside once it began getting too cold.
I'm worried for her now. For the last 2 weeks she has developed some spots that start out yellow/brown and then dry out until the leaf becomes brittle and flaky. I have no idea what this is or how I can help save my plant. Any suggestions/diagnosis/treatment/wisdom would be much appreciated!
by Pickle_fish4
2 Comments
I grow tomatoes as annuals, because bringing them inside is stressful for both myself and the plant. That being said, I’ll give my best advice based on my experience with seed starting and houseplants. When I started my tomatoes and peppers indoors last year, it was way too early. I didn’t have a fan for air circulation, not enough light, and not enough soil. They developed edema, which fixed itself when I was finally able to transplant outdoors. That may be what your tomato plant is doing now due to stressful conditions. Try your best to provide these things for your plant and it may help. Also, since you brought it in from outdoors, some pests may have hitched a ride in the soil as well, so inspect for creepy crawlies. I’ve never overwintered tomato plants, but I’d suggest doing some research “overwintering tomato plants indoors” to get a better idea of what works for others. If all else fails, do what most people do and just grow a new plant in the spring.
Just to reiterate the good advice already posted here, most tomatoes really, really, really hate everything about being indoors. It’s possible to grow tomatoes inside over the winter, but to do it well requires a considerable investment in your setup (carefully selected varieties to grow, an insane amount of lights, a “grow tent”, and considerable knowledge about the process). To do it poorly (which I have done) takes selecting a “micro” variety that can tolerate a small container and a slightly less insane amount of lights, but catch is that you only get a few tiny cherry tomatoes for your efforts.
Truth be told, the fact that you still have a tomato plant alive at all right now tells me that either (1) you live in the southern hemisphere or (2) you’re pretty talented at growing tomatoes, whether you realize it or not.
Happy gardening!