Storm Ruined Tomato Plants

[trax]

We planted several tomato plants in May and they were doing great
until a huge rain (thunder & lighting, hail) storm hit and they are
now all drooping. We are concerned that most will not survive and we
won't have any fresh tomatoes this year. Doesn't anybody have any
suggestions? Should I add the tomato fertilizer fast grow? I don't
want to touch them too much.
Thanks,
Trax
www.yardcharmers.com

[pakrat@usenet.pr.neotoma.org]

On Sat, 6 Jun 2009 09:43:38 -0700 (PDT) in > trax > wrote:
> We planted several tomato plants in May and they were doing great
> until a huge rain (thunder & lighting, hail) storm hit and they are
> now all drooping. We are concerned that most will not survive and we
> won't have any fresh tomatoes this year. Doesn't anybody have any
> suggestions? Should I add the tomato fertilizer fast grow? I don't
> want to touch them too much.

If they're a determinate variety, they're toast.
If they're an indeterminate variety new growth should resume from what's
left of the stem and roots (Unless it rained so hard it washed away the roots
too). You'll just be a bit late getting tomatoes.


--
Chris Dukes
< davej> eskimos have hundreds of words for snow. I have two. Bullshit.

[Don6170]

trax > wrote in news:3678fabf-22bc-4280-8db4-
:

> We planted several tomato plants in May and they were doing great
> until a huge rain (thunder & lighting, hail) storm hit and they are
> now all drooping. We are concerned that most will not survive and we
> won't have any fresh tomatoes this year.

I have planted replacements as late as July 4th and had tomatos all the way
up to the first frost.

[Daniel B Martin]

trax wrote:
> Doesn't anybody have any
> suggestions?
Drooping is not the same as dead. Plants are surprisingly resilient.

Suggestion: do nothing. Let Mother Nature take care of it.

Daniel B. Martin

[trax]

On Jun 6, 5:24*pm, Daniel B Martin >
wrote:
> trax wrote:
> > *Doesn't anybody have any
> > suggestions? *
>
> Drooping is not the same as dead. * Plants are surprisingly resilient.
>
> Suggestion: do nothing. * Let Mother Nature take care of it.
>
> Daniel B. Martin

Thanks Daniel,
I did nothing and to my surprise this morning a few appear to be
coming back. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks again, Trax
www.yardcharmers.com

[WesD]

On Jun 7, 10:07*am, trax > wrote:
> On Jun 6, 5:24*pm, Daniel B Martin >
> wrote:
>
> > trax wrote:
> > > *Doesn't anybody have any
> > > suggestions? *
>
> > Drooping is not the same as dead. * Plants are surprisingly resilient..
>
> > Suggestion: do nothing. * Let Mother Nature take care of it.
>
> > Daniel B. Martin
>
> Thanks Daniel,
> I did nothing and to my surprise this morning a few appear to be
> coming back. *I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks again, Traxwww.yardcharmers.com

If the roots are totally saturated with water they cannot take up
water because it has to be in the form of water vapor, so my guess is
it stayed wet a bit too long. The leaves were transpiring water, but
the roots could not take up more hence the wilting. If the roots dry
out before they rot then they will be a bit stunted but ok.
I try to plant mine on a hill a few inches above the garden level so
some of the roots have a better chance of not drowning. The hills
make it a bit harder to get water to them when it is dry though.