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Plants by the pool?

texas blues

texas blues

I have several plants both tomato and pepper, in pots on my back porch. I have a small backyard and a swimming pool. The peps seem to be doing okay but the toms developed leaf curl a couple weeks ago. No aphids that I can see. No overwatering. No yellow leaves. No root binding. I am stumped. Could the chems in the pool have an effect on the toms? My gal complains about the chlorine when the pool service adjusts the ph etc, but I don't notice it. Anyone got any hints?

Pam..you seem to be pretty dang sharp at trouble shooting this stuff..any clues?

Thanks
 
texas blues said:
I have several plants both tomato and pepper, in pots on my back porch. I have a small backyard and a swimming pool. The peps seem to be doing okay but the toms developed leaf curl a couple weeks ago. No aphids that I can see. No overwatering. No yellow leaves. No root binding. I am stumped. Could the chems in the pool have an effect on the toms? My gal complains about the chlorine when the pool service adjusts the ph etc, but I don't notice it. Anyone got any hints?

Pam..you seem to be pretty dang sharp at trouble shooting this stuff..any clues?

Thanks
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Oh, geeeez man! The pressure!


Ok, how are they curled, and are they new growth or older leaves?

Cool, wet weather can cause tomato leaves to curl. Um, some viruses can, and the dreaded *spit!* thrip can, too.

Here's a good site: http://www.gardenline.usask.ca/pests/tomato.html


If the leaves curl from side to side, sort of like a boat, it could be *spit!* thrips. You wouldn't be able to see them, but if you put the leaves or a bud in alcohol (vodka works well) you should be able to see little buggy specks floating in the alcohol.

I doubt it's the chlorine; but that's just a feeling, I don't have any evidence one way or the other.
 
Thanks Pam. WX has been low 70's at night and mid 80's to low 90's. Not too cool. I'll look into the alcohol bug thang'.
See...I knew you would know!!
 
plants go in a defense mode when it goes too hot - there are limits even for heat loving plants like peppers and tomatoes. the most common cause for curling is too much heat, don't always jump onto diseases... if they are outside you cannot do much about the heat (although some say the walls of water thingys can buffer heat in both ways), in the greenhouse especially keep the heat under control.
 
the666bbq said:
plants go in a defense mode when it goes too hot - there are limits even for heat loving plants like peppers and tomatoes. the most common cause for curling is too much heat, don't always jump onto diseases... if they are outside you cannot do much about the heat (although some say the walls of water thingys can buffer heat in both ways), in the greenhouse especially keep the heat under control.
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Heat in the 90's isn't too hot for peppers, though. Temperatures in the high 90's and low 100's is very common in the southern US, and most peppers seem to thrive on it.
 
Pam, I think that the666bbq may be on to something there. While the heat hasn't been too terribly bad, it is unbelievably dry hear and often the wind sucks any moisture away. While the peps are doing okay, when I put a finger in the soil in the tom pots, it certainly feels HOT. Just maybe I have to move them around so they don't get too much direct heating effect.
 
Ok, well, d'oh!

We're talking tomatoes, not peppers. Sorry, having a blonde moment.

Are you plants droopy late in the afternoon?
 
Soil is still moist from yesterdays watering. Last month they were fine watering every couple days..that's when it was hotter too. A bit cooler temps now i.e mid 80's. The one thing I have picked up a bit is that possibly the nursery I got the starters from had a mosaic prob...(meaning smoking person handling plants) other than that...the solution plumb evades me. My plants last year kicked vegetable ass but this year...Hail Mary's don't seem to be helping much. Madre y Padre y Spirito Santo........ordele!
 
texas blues said:
Soil is still moist from yesterdays watering. Last month they were fine watering every couple days..that's when it was hotter too. A bit cooler temps now i.e mid 80's. The one thing I have picked up a bit is that possibly the nursery I got the starters from had a mosaic prob...(meaning smoking person handling plants) other than that...the solution plumb evades me. My plants last year kicked vegetable ass but this year...Hail Mary's don't seem to be helping much. Madre y Padre y Spirito Santo........ordele!
Click to expand...


I would try and get them off the cement... Make sure they are in a light colored container and a large deep one (toms are deep feeders that love water). Mulch the top of the soil with a thick layer of leaves. You may be getting too much heat on the roots... I've seen the same problem with reflected heat from cement or brick around a pool (which also reflects sun.) The brick or cement will also continue to heat the plant hours after dawn. Now, 90 is not bad for a plant during the day, but for the plants to resperate and continue to grow... the night temps are the most important. Now for peppers....Optimal pepper-growing temperatures range between 65 degrees and 85 degrees F during the day and between 60 degrees and 70 degrees F at night. I'm sure Toms are close...same family.

Primo
 
I really think the roots got too hot. The pots are beige plastic type from Home Despot and large enough. The smooth caliche like cement around the pool itself is actually quite cool, even in 100 degree temps. I think the dirt just absorbed too much heat and killed from within. Thanks ya'll.

Primo...Lafeyette? Thats close to east Texas border right?
 
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