Reader Questions: Plants Growing Upward, Watering Tomatoes
By Vanessa Richins
David in Kansas:
“How do you keep a tomato plant from growing up in an upside down tomato?”
Another reader asks:
“I am trying out the upside down tomato planters for the first time. Both of my plants (Mountain Pride) are yellowing and curling upwards towards the root. Any advice?”
Hi. This is likely due to a phenomenon called tropism. A tropism is a factor in plants where they move or grow in response to the environment around them. Phototropism occurs when plants move towards a light source.
When tomato plants are first planted upside down, the planter is often in the way of the direct sunlight. The plant will start growing upwards to reach towards the light, so it can still photosynthesize.
There’s also another tropism in effect: gravitropism. Plants respond to gravity in that the roots grow downwards (toward gravity) and stems grow upwards (away from gravity). They may hang down more as the tomatoes form on the plants.
In short – there’s not much you can do yourself to keep them from growing up. It’s a natural response in the plants.
As for the yellow leaves, we also have another question along those lines…
Grace:
“I have yellow leaves at the base of my tomato plant. I have a feeling i’m under watering or over watering. How often should I water my tomato plant? I do not see any bugs or anything on the leave so I do not think it is bugs. I use Miracle Grow so it should be sufficient in nutrients.”
First, make sure you aren’t getting the leaves wet when you water, as this could bring diseases.
You need to be watering your tomatoes regularly. Uneven watering can cause fruit problems, as well as yellow leaves. Give your tomatoes a deep watering every few days, instead of light waterings daily. This will help the plant develop deeper roots that will help during times with less moisture.
As for containers, you first need to make sure that you have enough holes for drainage. Your container grown tomatoes could be developing yellow leaves from too much water. It could also be underwatering, since plants in containers should be watered daily.
Check out “Recognizing Tomato Problems” to rule out other causes of yellow leaves.
Hope they get green and healthy soon!
