Why are my tomato stems so thin? (2024)

FAQs

Why are my tomato stems so thin? ›

Not enough sun can cause growth to be spindly. Regularly feed the tomato every 4-6 weeks during the growing season to ensure healthy growth and more flowering and fruiting.

Tomatoes produce roots from their stem very easily, and this is usually no cause for concern. Dead, rotten patches on the stems: A disease called Didymella stem rot (caused by the fungus Didymella lycopersici) can attack the stems of tomatoes causing brown, rotted patches, at any height but most often at the stem base.

In a compost pile, coffee grounds decompose and break down, mingling with other organic matter like vegetable scraps, leaves, and grass clippings. This process creates a nutrient-rich compost that is much safer and more beneficial for tomato plants.

Leggy tomato seedlings are tomato plants that have grown tall and spindly, with long, thin stems and small, pale leaves. This phenomenon occurs when tomato seedlings don't receive enough light or when they are grown in warm, crowded, or overly moist conditions.

Tomato - Discolouration

More severely affected plants show a dark, sunken zone on the blossom end of the ripened fruit. This zone is sharply delimited against the fruit. The fruits ripen prematurely and are not marketable.

Most of us have heard that eggshells can help increase the calcium in our garden soil, and some of us may have even tried it in our own yards. The goal is to help prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes and other plants affected by calcium deficiency. As it turns out, using eggshells really doesn't fix anything.

In most cases, the grounds are too acidic to be used directly on soil, even for acid-loving plants like blueberries, azaleas and hollies. Coffee grounds inhibit the growth of some plants, including geranium, asparagus fern, Chinese mustard and Italian ryegrass.

Banana peels are also brimming with potassium, which is excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. “Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes,” the Cape Gazette adds.

The thickening of the stem that occurs in secondary growth is due to the formation of secondary phloem and secondary xylem by the vascular cambium, plus the action of cork cambium, which forms the tough outermost layer of the stem. The cells of the secondary xylem contain lignin, which provides hardiness and strength.

Possible causes include lack of water, fungal wilt diseases, tomato spotted wilt virus, walnut toxicity and stalk borers. Lack of Water. Tomato plants require approximately 1 inch of water per week. Plants may wilt badly when soils are dry, but will revive rapidly when they are watered.

What does blight look like on tomato stems? ›

The stem turns brown, sunken and dry (collar rot). If the infection girdles the stem, the seedling wilts and dies. Stem infections on older plants are oval to irregular, dry brown areas with dark brown concentric rings.

Pruning and Supporting Tomato Plants

If space in your garden is at a premium, or if you're supporting plants with tomato ladders or stakes, it's best to prune your tomato plants to one or two main stems. To do this, pinch out all suckers.

Hornworms are notoriously hard to spot. They favor the (hairy) underside of plant stems and are themselves green with slightly hairy legs. They also shy away from daylight, hiding deep in the foliage to ecsape the direct sun during the day while doing their damage before sunrise and after sunset.