Tomato plant problem?

Question

I have a tomato sprout and it's wilting just under the leaves, one leaf is dead; the other, alive. What do I do to save this plant?

Do I cut it down to the ground and hope it will grow all over again?

Do I cut off or pluck the dead leaf? (it's dry)

Do I "leave" it alone?

What do I do?

Answer 1

Take off the dead leaf or it will fall off by itself. Your description sounds like it is only a few inches high, and if you cut it to the ground, you will manage to kill it far quicker.

Tomatoes require sunlight to grow, so I hope you are not trying to raise them indoors.

If this is your first foray into tomato gardening, you may want to buy a really big plant or two or three which are far more up to abuse. They don't like tons of water and will never ripen in shade.

Answer 2

Here are guesses as to the cause of the wilting.  lack of water or over exposure to sun (not likely in a tomato plant but possible dependent on the variety I suppose). Have you fertilized the soil the plant is in? If so there may be too strong a concentration, if not then a bit of miracle grow can do wonders. I can tell you that you should not cut the plant. If it is a sprout then it is the first leaves from a seed. If this is true then cutting the plant right now before it has an established root stem would be fatal. Even then I am pretty sure tomato plants won't respond well to complete cutting.

As far as removing the leaf; plants continue to absorb nutrients from a leaf until it falls off. During drought conditions for example, a plant may begin to abort leaves or entire inflorescences to reabsorb expended nutrients thus consolidating resources in times of stress.

P.S. CPR will not work with Tomatoes :)

Answer 3

Probably the tomato plant is under attack from the fungus and will die soon. If it dies apply a good fungicide near the root of other seedlings and use very dilute concentration.

It is common to have fungal wilt problem in the plants of Solanaceae group (Potato, Brinjal, capsicum and Tomato).

The problem is worsened by excessive watering or improper drainage from the plant-bed.

Leaves will wilt in less water condition also. Please check and if soil is hard water gently by sprinkling over the bed.

The condition will reverse in 2-3 hours.

Answer 4

If it's a seedling and by "leaf" you're talking about its cotyledons (seed leaves) don't even think about pruning it. But, as the seedling matures and it starts to develop true leaves, its little cotyledons will naturally wither and fall off. You don't have to do anything to assist it.

Even if it has  experienced some adult growth this early in the season (which, if you're in the northern hemisphere must mean you're growing it indoors or you live in the tropics or subtropics) cutting it down to the ground will likely kill it. It won't grow back.

The brown leaf may be nothing to worry about. What you need to look at is, is the plant still sending out new growth? If so, it's likely in good shape.

You might worry about seedling blight or "damping off." This is a fungal infection of the plant and likely occurs when the seedling is overwatered or in excessively moist/cool/shaded conditions. If this is the problem, there isn't a h**l of a lot of hope, but you can try a commercial antifungal drench. You can find them at the garden center.

If the leaflet is really dry and dead it probably won't hurt to pinch it off, but if it's a tender little cotyledon, it's probably better not to disturb it.

Check for pests.

Answer 5

Cutting a tomato to the ground will kill it most likely.  Just wait it out to see if it survives.  Tomatoes are prone to fungus and blight and if it has something of that sort there is nothing you can do. Replant when ground is warmer and there is less chance of mold.