[Bionic]

i don't think it's a serious problem although have been removing the yellow leaves. It seems to be the lower ones that are affected. Any ideas?

[Marches Farmer]

They're most likely just dying off as a natural part of the life cycle of the plant.  Other possibilities include lack of nutrients (do you give a weekly feed?) or overwatering.

[Bionic]

MF, I was wondering about overwatering myself. They certainly
won't be short of water, but the weekly feed is something I had forgotten. They will get their first dose this evening. Thanks

[Fleecewife]

It's a good idea to snap off those yellowed leaves where they meet the main stalk (not cut), as long as they are beneath the first flower truss.  Once they are yellowed they no longer manufacture sugars from sunshine plus chlorophyll, so all they're doing is blocking air circulation around the plants. 
I know because I got a comprehensive bollocking from our flower shop lady, who grows large scale tomatoes, when we first moved here 


If it's the top, new growth which is coming in yellow, then that's something else and we would need a pic.....time we had a photo icon on TAS 

[Bionic]

It is the bottom leaves and I have already snapped them off, mainly because it's easier to get the watering can in without the bottom leaves anyway 

[Lesley Silvester]

I always remove the lower leaves in any case to allow the air to circulate. It helps to reduce the risk of blight.

[cloddopper]

Are you feedng your tomato plants with a liquid tomato feed now the flowers on the trusses have set ?
 Yep... remove the yellow leaves and if your doing vine toms remove all leaves below fruited trusses

[devonlady]

Bionic, you have sheep! The best liquid feed for tomatoes, courgettes and any other fruiting plant is sheep droppings and nettles or comfrey put in a water butt or dustbin and left for a few days to "brew". Dilute with water at the rate of approx. 1 pint s###e tea to 8 pints water or until it looks like weak tea.
I always "plant"  the top half of a 2 litre plastic bottle or a bit of drain pipe next to my tomato and courgette plants and pour the feed down this once a week.

[Bionic]

Devonlady. I don't have any comfrey but do have plenty of nettles and there is always plenty of poo too. I feel a brew coming on 

[budharley]

Sounds like they are just needing a feed ,the plant will use what they can to support themselves by taking it from the lower leaves .

[Louise Gaunt]

Be warned, nettles as a brew for tomatoes is really smelly! I ave made some this year and it is now consigned to a little used area of the garden due to the smell!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

I always remove the new shoots which come between the stems of the plants and leaves, so it can put all its effort into fruiting and flowering. Also the shoots you can pot on with a little rooting powder or not and they become new tomato plants. I do agree with the others though about the yellowing. Another thing could be potbound, the soil or aphids.

[bloomer]

How much water do tomato's need, I have had similar symptoms, but then the bases of the plants went slime (rotten) and they collapsed. I was watering everyday I guess I over did it...

[Bionic]

How much water do tomato's need, I have had similar symptoms, but then the bases of the plants went slime (rotten) and they collapsed. I was watering everyday I guess I over did it...

I always thought they needed lots of water but maybe not as much as I thought. Mine are in grow bags with those tomato rings round them so you just put water in the ring and not on the plant itself. This has worked really well in the past so I am still thinking its nutrients that they need.

[Marches Farmer]

If I'm growing outdoor tomatoes I generally give them a good soaking every third day, if it hasn't rained in the meantime.  I find the flavour much better if they're a little short of water, especially as they start to colour up.