Each year, I plant tomatoes and each year they end up with yellow leaves.
The plants get fairly big and then the stems and leaves start turning yellow. I cut the yellow part off, but they keep turning yellow.
I have planted the tomatoes in about six different spots in the yard, so I don't think it could be in the soil.
This year, I planted two plants in two big tubs and the leaves still turned yellow. What am I doing wrong? help!
– Mary Recend, Roseville
Yellow tomato leaves can be due to a number of issues, according to UC Master Gardener Liz Haines. The most common are excess water, fusarium or verticillium wilts.
The fusarium and verticillium wilts are fungi that infect the plant through the roots and are spread by infected gardening equipment, such as a shovel or trowel, seed and transplants.
The symptoms of fusarium and verticillium wilts are similar and require culturing the fungus in a laboratory for positive identification. For additional information, click on www.ucipm. ucdavis.edu for descriptions and photos.
When planting tomatoes, use varieties that are resistant to these problems. The label will state that they are "VF resistant" – that means that plant has a built-in resistance to both fungi.
Give your tomatoes their best chance for success by planting in an area that gets full sun most of the day.
Keep the soil around new transplants moist for the first three to four weeks. Water established plants when the soil dries to about 2 to 3 inches. Apply water to wet the root zone thoroughly.
I was given an indoor plant five to seven years ago. I think it is simply beautiful. It flowers once a year. I water it only when it's dry, and it's still beautiful. But what is it? Could you help me identify the plant?
– Roberta Tripp, Carmichael
UC Master Gardener Bill Pierce took a look at a photo of the plant. At first glance, he said the plant appeared to be an orchid. A search of the orchid section of the "Exotica International Pictorial Cyclopedia of Exotic Plants from Tropical and Near Tropical Regions" turned up no matches.
The stem of the plant resembles Dieffenbachia; so, it was time to search the Araceae family in the "Exotica," where two possible matches were found. One, Lagenandra was similar, but not an exact match. The other possibility was a type of philodendron. The stems and leaf forms matched, but an exact replication was not possible.
Most likely, it is an orchid or relative. The flower would offer another clue to the plant's identity.
The Sacramento Orchid Society meets the first Wednesday of each month at Sacramento's Odd Fellows Hall (except in August, when the group takes a summer break). Perhaps a member of the society can identify the plant.The society's website is www.sacramentoorchids.org. You may email the group your plant's photo to SacramentoOrchidSociety@gmail.com.
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