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z_willus_d · March 16, 2012

On the top of my list of possible causes, overwatering (more due to poor soil drainage than actual overdoing it with the water) and/or underwatering.

In searching about the symptoms of the overwatering condition, I came across this blog:
http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/f...age=1#comments

He runs an experiment to see if tomatoes can thrive in standing water, and the results are surprising. I'm not sure (in fact I doubt) they would apply to all growing conditions and tomato varieties.

Here's the summary of his "findings":
Things I've learned.
1. Tomato plants cannot be over watered.
2. In the desert climate clay soil is far superior to amended soil. It holds water better. In other climates and conditions amended soil might be great...not here. It is a myth plants cannot produce roots in clay soil. Clay soil that is moist is not hard.
3. I was surprised by the amount of water plants actually used. In this closed system it was clear the plants were pulling in the water and it evaporated through respiration. This was most noticeable when a plant died and the soil remained moist while others dried on the surface.
4. As I was told by several people before moving to Phoenix "You can grow tomatoes year round" in Phoenix. These were not gardeners. Well you can indeed grow tomatoes all year here - tomato plants, not fruit. My guess is it would take 10 to 20 plants to yield the same amount of fruit that one plant would produce in less harsh climates. And even then the window for production is limited here to just a few weeks in the spring/very early summer, and a bit in the fall.
5. Tomatoes are annuals in the sense that their stems get too woody for new growth needed to produce fruit. This is the second time I have experimented with keeping a plant for multiple years with the same result. You can get some fruit in Feb-April from over wintered plants but production is low.

March 16, 2012	#41
z_willus_d Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,313	On the top of my list of possible causes, overwatering (more due to poor soil drainage than actual overdoing it with the water) and/or underwatering. In searching about the symptoms of the overwatering condition, I came across this blog: http://www.phoenixpermaculture.org/f...age=1#comments He runs an experiment to see if tomatoes can thrive in standing water, and the results are surprising. I'm not sure (in fact I doubt) they would apply to all growing conditions and tomato varieties. Here's the summary of his "findings": Things I've learned. 1. Tomato plants cannot be over watered. 2. In the desert climate clay soil is far superior to amended soil. It holds water better. In other climates and conditions amended soil might be great...not here. It is a myth plants cannot produce roots in clay soil. Clay soil that is moist is not hard. 3. I was surprised by the amount of water plants actually used. In this closed system it was clear the plants were pulling in the water and it evaporated through respiration. This was most noticeable when a plant died and the soil remained moist while others dried on the surface. 4. As I was told by several people before moving to Phoenix "You can grow tomatoes year round" in Phoenix. These were not gardeners. Well you can indeed grow tomatoes all year here - tomato plants, not fruit. My guess is it would take 10 to 20 plants to yield the same amount of fruit that one plant would produce in less harsh climates. And even then the window for production is limited here to just a few weeks in the spring/very early summer, and a bit in the fall. 5. Tomatoes are annuals in the sense that their stems get too woody for new growth needed to produce fruit. This is the second time I have experimented with keeping a plant for multiple years with the same result. You can get some fruit in Feb-April from over wintered plants but production is low.