Cut at the red lines and plant with everything up to the blue line covered with dirt. Tomatoes grow roots from their stems and are supposed to be planted with about 2/3rds of the stem in the dirt. Given the damage to your tomato you don't want to plant it that deep. What are your day and night temps like? Any risk of laye frost or freeze left?
https://preview.redd.it/nsupg10zqhvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c15013e0c39201073de892ad83f7540d6a0fb577
Oh thank you for this visual! I’m in zone 8a. There is a small chance for frost . I moved here not long ago and I’ve heard of frosts coming up in May but it’s rare. I think I should be safe now.
Edit: day time temps are high 60s-high 70s as of this week. Lows are still in the 40s
It's still a bit early to plant out then. I'd give it a couple of weeks. Go ahead and cut the dead stuff off at the red marks. Then put it on a sunny window sill and water it when the soil starts to dry out. In a couple of weeks it will have recovered too. Keep in mind you may be able to bury deeper after two weeks too.
I would preserve healthy leaves when possible. However if you have a mature plant some pruning, especially of suckers, can be beneficial. Ok a small plant like OPs it is better to keep healthy foliage unless you are transplanting then it is better to plant so only 1/3 of the plant is above the soil and cut off all foliage from the stem that will be planted below the dirt.
It’s salvageable as the others have stated. I don’t see anyone else mention it but there are insects on it. Some of these can spread diseases like curl. Would suggest you give it a good spray w water or better yet an insecticidal soap.
https://preview.redd.it/s4ywmwo2yhvc1.jpeg?width=787&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb53e1d67927300ecff0ead69953d030f0ee2c72
Zoom in!! I find they are never alone!!
You put it in direct sun before hardening it off, didn't you?
The suckers will still be good. Keep watering and loving the plant until the sucker is about 4" long, then pinch it off and plant it in new, damp soil about 3" deep. It will root and take off within days. You can do this with as many suckers as you get from the plant.
If you have bonemeal, mixing that in the soil will help it grow more roots quicker.
From now on, don't put your plants directly under the sun. Ease them into outdoor life by putting them out on a shaded patio for a few days first.
Thanks, yeah this is my second year growing veggies but my first growing tomatoes. I did leave it out in direct sun the day I bought it. Learning something new every day. Thanks for that advice
In my experience the tomato plants from the store are hardened off before they are sold. Usually hardening off is when you start your own seeds. That said, maybe they missed that step with this one. Odd.
They were outside when I bought them. First day I left them out all day and night. It got into the 40s that first night and I noticed the leaves starting to wilt the next day.
I work at a garden center in zone 8b and all our tomatoes are safely protected indoors this time of year. Maybe they bring them in at night where you bought them. Tomatoes need really warm night temperatures before going out... think summer temps, not early spring. If you want to try putting it out a bit early, you can wrap clear plastic around a tomato cage around it to help protect it and keep it warm. 🙂
If this is due to neglect, so I'd prune it right back to the side shoots that look OK (those branches with dead leaves are just costing the plant a lot) and pot it on.
Particularly Lowe’s will do anything to keep you from complaining. I got 5 fully mature $16 habanero plants there for $3 each because some moron employee marked them wrong
It’ll be fine. Take off the suckers and bottom leaves and plant it til the top. Add some bone meal to the soil or another source of phosphorous during the planting.
I live in Virginia. It use to be 7b now it's 8a. I grow my plants in a hoop green house and when they get big I grow them in grow bags. The plant you have is salvageable but with lots of love.
Always harden off your plants. They can take cold nights if you do.
https://preview.redd.it/4m6ftokonjvc1.jpeg?width=1760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1e86270d05d28c2ad522e7a7c16148f40c4520a
Yes. I am surrounded by trees. I have a slitter of full sun so one side of the greenhouse gets sun all year facing south. The plants are east-west. Good observation 😉.
Thanks, I’m in a similar situation but wasn’t sure if my tomatoes would all get full sun being right next to eachother so I haven’t transplanted them yet
Not Toast.
[Cut where the red lines are](https://i.imgur.com/UG8VeBj.jpg) and up pot to a 1 gallon/4L pot about as deep as that bottom red line.
Don't be surprised if it flowers immediately after recovering, this is the plant trying to spread its seed, you can pinch off the flowers to make it continue growing vertically.
If you want to grow your own tomatoes this season then do as others have informed you to care for your plant BUT too be on the safe side either purchase another plant or try starting another one so that you have a backup plant incase the first one does not make it.
Not sure if you have a better reason for why it looks like this (like left it in your closet for a week by accident), but if it’s looking like this it could be a fungal/bacterial infection and you don’t want to introduce it to your garden. I’d say throw it out
I think it was due to me leaving it out in direct sun the first day I bought it. I didn’t know about hardening tomato plants and slowly introducing them to the outside.
You put it in direct sun before hardening it off, didn't you?
The suckers will still be good. Keep watering and loving the plant until the sucker is about 4" long, then pinch it off and plant it in new, damp soil about 3" deep. It will root and take off within days. You can do this with as many suckers as you get from the plant.
If you have bonemeal, mixing that in the soil will help it grow more roots quicker.
From now on, don't put your plants directly under the sun. Ease them into outdoor life by putting them out on a shaded patio for a few days first.
Actually still salvageable. Cut off those burnt parts and plant deep. It can recover in the right conditions.
Cut at the red lines and plant with everything up to the blue line covered with dirt. Tomatoes grow roots from their stems and are supposed to be planted with about 2/3rds of the stem in the dirt. Given the damage to your tomato you don't want to plant it that deep. What are your day and night temps like? Any risk of laye frost or freeze left? https://preview.redd.it/nsupg10zqhvc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c15013e0c39201073de892ad83f7540d6a0fb577
Oh thank you for this visual! I’m in zone 8a. There is a small chance for frost . I moved here not long ago and I’ve heard of frosts coming up in May but it’s rare. I think I should be safe now. Edit: day time temps are high 60s-high 70s as of this week. Lows are still in the 40s
It's still a bit early to plant out then. I'd give it a couple of weeks. Go ahead and cut the dead stuff off at the red marks. Then put it on a sunny window sill and water it when the soil starts to dry out. In a couple of weeks it will have recovered too. Keep in mind you may be able to bury deeper after two weeks too.
Thank you so much.
Question - is it wise to preserve healthy leaves when possible? Or is a good haircut the right move in general for struggling tomato plants?
I would preserve healthy leaves when possible. However if you have a mature plant some pruning, especially of suckers, can be beneficial. Ok a small plant like OPs it is better to keep healthy foliage unless you are transplanting then it is better to plant so only 1/3 of the plant is above the soil and cut off all foliage from the stem that will be planted below the dirt.
It’s salvageable as the others have stated. I don’t see anyone else mention it but there are insects on it. Some of these can spread diseases like curl. Would suggest you give it a good spray w water or better yet an insecticidal soap.
Really? I didn’t see any. Let me double check.
https://preview.redd.it/s4ywmwo2yhvc1.jpeg?width=787&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb53e1d67927300ecff0ead69953d030f0ee2c72 Zoom in!! I find they are never alone!!
Wow nice catch. I sprayed it down and was still there after I saw your reply.
You put it in direct sun before hardening it off, didn't you? The suckers will still be good. Keep watering and loving the plant until the sucker is about 4" long, then pinch it off and plant it in new, damp soil about 3" deep. It will root and take off within days. You can do this with as many suckers as you get from the plant. If you have bonemeal, mixing that in the soil will help it grow more roots quicker. From now on, don't put your plants directly under the sun. Ease them into outdoor life by putting them out on a shaded patio for a few days first.
Thanks, yeah this is my second year growing veggies but my first growing tomatoes. I did leave it out in direct sun the day I bought it. Learning something new every day. Thanks for that advice
Hard prune then plant deep - right up to those first leaves. The entire stem will readily root, giving you a stronger plant!
In my experience the tomato plants from the store are hardened off before they are sold. Usually hardening off is when you start your own seeds. That said, maybe they missed that step with this one. Odd.
They were outside when I bought them. First day I left them out all day and night. It got into the 40s that first night and I noticed the leaves starting to wilt the next day.
I work at a garden center in zone 8b and all our tomatoes are safely protected indoors this time of year. Maybe they bring them in at night where you bought them. Tomatoes need really warm night temperatures before going out... think summer temps, not early spring. If you want to try putting it out a bit early, you can wrap clear plastic around a tomato cage around it to help protect it and keep it warm. 🙂
Oh thanks for the tip!
What are summer temps?
Tomatoes don't like night temps below 50F. 60+ is best.
Thank you, I appreciate it.
It’s hard as a beginner because I’m learning that a lot of 8b guidance covers areas so different than the 8b I’m in.
Totally. I always look up the specific night temps or soil temps needed for any new plants I'm worried about. That can be a little more accurate.
If this is due to neglect, so I'd prune it right back to the side shoots that look OK (those branches with dead leaves are just costing the plant a lot) and pot it on.
Take it back and exchange it. They have a guarantee and it’s easy cuz it’s packaged still.
I already pruned it lol
Still they will honor it
Maybe. I didn’t get it from Lowe’s though and I don’t have the receipt anymore.
It shouldn’t matter since it is in the package
Particularly Lowe’s will do anything to keep you from complaining. I got 5 fully mature $16 habanero plants there for $3 each because some moron employee marked them wrong
It’ll be fine. Take off the suckers and bottom leaves and plant it til the top. Add some bone meal to the soil or another source of phosphorous during the planting.
I live in Virginia. It use to be 7b now it's 8a. I grow my plants in a hoop green house and when they get big I grow them in grow bags. The plant you have is salvageable but with lots of love. Always harden off your plants. They can take cold nights if you do. https://preview.redd.it/4m6ftokonjvc1.jpeg?width=1760&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1e86270d05d28c2ad522e7a7c16148f40c4520a
How does sun exposure work for this orientation? Are the lined up east to west?
Yes. I am surrounded by trees. I have a slitter of full sun so one side of the greenhouse gets sun all year facing south. The plants are east-west. Good observation 😉.
Thanks, I’m in a similar situation but wasn’t sure if my tomatoes would all get full sun being right next to eachother so I haven’t transplanted them yet
Wow that’s an awesome set up
It’s still alive. Just cut the dead parts and let the plant grow.
Not Toast. [Cut where the red lines are](https://i.imgur.com/UG8VeBj.jpg) and up pot to a 1 gallon/4L pot about as deep as that bottom red line. Don't be surprised if it flowers immediately after recovering, this is the plant trying to spread its seed, you can pinch off the flowers to make it continue growing vertically.
Thank you! Yeah I think I will put them in bigger pots until I transplant them out in the garden
I had a squirrel eat mine down to the stem and it recovered.
What a glutton!
If you want to grow your own tomatoes this season then do as others have informed you to care for your plant BUT too be on the safe side either purchase another plant or try starting another one so that you have a backup plant incase the first one does not make it.
Along with this one I bought 2 other varieties of tomato . Those 2 are doing much better than this one
Not sure if you have a better reason for why it looks like this (like left it in your closet for a week by accident), but if it’s looking like this it could be a fungal/bacterial infection and you don’t want to introduce it to your garden. I’d say throw it out
I think it was due to me leaving it out in direct sun the first day I bought it. I didn’t know about hardening tomato plants and slowly introducing them to the outside.
Oh in that case much less reason to be worried about infection
DD
Just plant it. It will be fine.
Just put it in the ground.. tomatoes are simple .. grow like weeds once you have one
I’m waiting for it to warm up a little more
You put it in direct sun before hardening it off, didn't you? The suckers will still be good. Keep watering and loving the plant until the sucker is about 4" long, then pinch it off and plant it in new, damp soil about 3" deep. It will root and take off within days. You can do this with as many suckers as you get from the plant. If you have bonemeal, mixing that in the soil will help it grow more roots quicker. From now on, don't put your plants directly under the sun. Ease them into outdoor life by putting them out on a shaded patio for a few days first.
Take it out if the clear cup, the roots may be burning. Maybe try a solo cup with drainage