[Kathie]

Hi all,
I have 5 F1 hybrid tomato plants growing large pots in a polytunnel that is on concrete.  They have grown well and high but over the last few days the leaves are starting to look limp despite being fed and watered.  Is it too late to plant them outside? What would you do?
All advice welcome as I am a struggling novice.
Thank you

[monkeywobbler]

Hello Kathie.
Are you watering them enough? It might sound like a daft question but as they're in a polytunnel (no opportunity for rain), and they're in pots (dry out quicker) you should probably look at watering them twice a day to be on the safe side.

[DD.]

Water the concrete as well, that'll help keep the temperature down.

[monkeywobbler]

Yeah that's a good tip, DD. I had to do that in the greenhouse today, I thought my chillies were going to spontaneously combust.

[Paul Plots]

Kathie if you've tried standing the pots in flowerpot saucers and they are still drying out you could always try sliding some cheap grow-bags under the pots so that they act as water reservoirs.  Under these you could try grow-bag trays that catch and hold water that grow-bag loses. All this will add to the water available to your plants.

A simple plastic sheet lined wooden trough would do the same job... shingle in the bottom, pots on top and then you have a reservoir to help keep the plants moist when you're not there to water them.

[Kathie]

Thank you all for your imput, will water more and stand them in trays to help with water retention. Haven't watered inside polytunnel as I thought tomatoes like dry not humid conditions, will perservere and see how things go.
Thanks again everyone

[cooperman]

they need to be in 20ltr pots at least.... any smaller and you'll be watering them twice a day!

[DD.]

Thank you all for your imput, will water more and stand them in trays to help with water retention. Haven't watered inside polytunnel as I thought tomatoes like dry not humid conditions, will perservere and see how things go.
Thanks again everyone

They prefer a dry atmosphere - not roots!

[Kathie]

 
Thanks DD