Today's terrible tomato travail theorem.

[www.locoworks.com]

In past posts I bewailed the poor performance of the tomatoes in my greenhouse, with their leaves turning over and changing to a vivid purple hue. All the fixes suggested here had no effect. I was distraught.

Today, just after noon, I was in the greenhouse. I went to check the soil moisture by sticking my finger in the pots. It was moist all right, but it was uncomfortably hot as well. The sun beating on the pots had raised the soil to the temperature of hot coffee (or tea, if you prefer).

Now, I have rigged some heavy plastic board to shade the pots. I await further developments and I will post them here. Thanks to those of you who have kept with me so far.

[Billy]

When a deficiency in phosphorous exists, particular symptoms can include: Tomatoes:- Leaves dark green, purple underneath. Very slow growth.

I believe I suggested ventilation which would also carry off some of the mold inducing humidity.

[www.locoworks.com]

An excellent suggestion, which I followed, with no change in the condition of the plants. The plants are not moldy, they are just spindly and listless-looking, with purple leaves.

[Billy]

Moisture and heat will generate mold. Wait for it.

So was the soil outside of your greenhouse as hot as it was inside? I doubt it, if there was ventilation.

Good luck.

[Marie Dodge]

You can drag them outside and spray paint the pots white. Use Fuse if they're plastic pots.

[Marie Dodge]

An excellent suggestion, which I followed, with no change in the condition of the plants. The plants are not moldy, they are just spindly and listless-looking, with purple leaves.

Why are you growing them in a greenhouse when it's summer? They do much better outside in the fresh air and even better when planted in the ground.

[www.locoworks.com]

This is in northern California, on the coast, near the Oregon border. Outside daytime temperature yesterday was 64F at high noon outside,

80F in the greenhouse, with all three vents open. If I was planting them in the ground I'd need to break through the permafrost with a pickaxe first... well maybe, not quite, but you get the idea.

[Billy]

First you tell us that the pots have the temperature of hot coffee. Then, that greenhouse is 80F and that it is 64F outside. There seems to be no way to get an intelligible answer out of you, so I bid you good day.

[www.locoworks.com]

Billy, the pots were in direct sunlight yesterday. The thermometer was not. If these facts are not intelligible to you I will happily wave goodbye to you as you bid good day.

I have just returned from the greenhouse, where the air temperature is

86F. A finger thrust into the pots finds moist soil that is warm, not hot, a great improvement over yesterday. Shading the pots may be the simple solution to the tomato travail. Time will tell.

[Omelet]

You need to open up more ventilation in the greenhouse, and consider some shade cloth over the roof.

[www.locoworks.com]

Omelet,

I have considered shade cloth over the greenhouse, but I fear that the reduction in sunlight would not be beneficial to the plants, We are in a coastal area and have fog and overcast a good part of the time. The problem seemed to be that when we do have full sun it raised the temperature of the soil in the pots (not the plants) too high. Shading the pots seems to be accomplishing this. I await further developments.

There is a large hatch in the roof and one at each end of the greenhouse. All three are open and there is no condensation inside. The only way to increase the ventilation would be with a fire axe.

[GQ]

Shade cloth is available in a wide variety of percentage filtering, one does not need to go to 95% shade when 40% will do. I don't know where you are on the planet but we are fortunate in SA to have such a wide variety available, and in different colours too.

[Omelet]

Just trying to help...

I live in Texas and have greenhouses.

[www.locoworks.com]

Omelet,

Are you on the Texas coast, or more inland?

[Billy]

Make it 1' to 2' above the ground.

[The Cook]

A fan would help.

[Omelet]

Central. Austin/San Antonio corridor.

[Omelet]

Good idea! I concur.

[The Cook]

Mine came with a thermostatically controlled fan. It also has two vents. I do not have anything in mine now because it gets up to 120°F if the sun is out even with the vents and door open. I have turned off the fan. No use in wasting electricity.

[www.locoworks.com]

You could always raise cactus.