Tomato plants are wonderful, versatile yet pretty to the eyes. Although worthwhile, tomato plants require a lot of care.
In this guide, we will teach you how to fix leggy tomato plants via 3 easy methods so that you can spring your plant back to life.
Plants getting leggy is not an unusual problem. If you are a tomato plant enthusiast, you will run into your plant getting leggy at least once in your journey.
Seeing your plant that way can be overwhelming, but we are here to teach you how to fix leggy tomato plants. So, let’s get into the article.
How to Fix Leggy Tomato Plants? | An Overview!
Before treating a leggy tomato plant, it is essential to understand what you are dealing with in the first place.
It is easy to spot a leggy tomato plant, and you would not require an expert gardener to tell you that a plant is leggy.
What Is a Leggy Tomato Plant?
A plant is considered ‘leggy’ when it grows vertically with few leaves on the top.
This condition is relatively common and can make your dear plant aesthetically unpleasing. Aesthetics aside, it is crucial to treat it as the condition can affect the fruit output of the plant as well.
Hence grab on that gardener hat and learn how to fix leggy tomato plants.
Factors Contributing Towards Leggy Plants
Three main factors contribute to plants becoming leggy.
These are:
- Lack of sunlight.
- Insufficient water.
- Overcrowding.
As a beginner, making mistakes that contribute to these factors is likely.
But fear not, as these factors are easily treatable. Follow this guide to learn how to fix leggy tomato plants via 3 easy methods and rescue your plant.
Things Needed to Fix a Leggy Tomato Plant
Leggy tomato plants do not require a lot of things to be treated. Just a few tweaks can bring your plant back into normal shape.
In certain situations where the plant is affected dramatically, repotting may be required, which would require the following tools:
- Plant pots.
- Gardening trowel.
- Watering can.
- An automatic watering system.
Here’s the process.
How to Fix Leggy Tomato Plants? | The Methods!
Wanna know how to fix leggy tomato plants? We have devised the following methods for you.
Method 1: Fixing Leggy Tomato Plant By Providing Adequate Sunlight
We know that all plants require sunlight to survive and thrive.
When you place a plant in a place that does not have adequate sunlight, the plant, as a survival mechanism, starts to grow tall to catch the sunlight.
It’s pretty smart and impressive on the part of the plant if you think about it. Smartness aside, to fix it, follow the following steps.
Step 1:
- Analyze the current surrounding of your tomato plant.
- You need to look out for the sunlight situation of your plant.
Step 2:
- If the plants seem to be in a place without direct sunlight, find a new site with direct sunlight access.
- If you live in a crowded city and do not have access to appropriate sunlight, you can also use artificial grow lights.
Step 3:
- If you have access to direct sunlight, shift your plant to the new place by relocating it from the previous one.
- In case you decide to use artificial sunlight, place it near your plant so that it may be able to absorb all of it.
Now, let’s move to the following method.
Method 2: Providing Sufficient Water to Fix Leggy Tomato Plant
While lack of sunlight is the most common reason for leggy tomato plants, insufficient water supply is also a major reason.
It is a no-brainer that plants require water to grow. In case of a lack of water supply, plants grow abnormally tall to catch the droplets in the air.
To fix this problem and implement this method, just follow these steps:
Step 1:
- Keenly observe the soil of your plant.
- If the soil seems dry, your tomato plant does not have enough water supply. Alternately, you can plow the soil to check the condition of the soil as well.
- If the soil is bone dry and compacted, your plant is underwatered.
Step 2:
- Water your plant until the soil is adequately wet.
- You can use your regular watering can to do so.
- If you have the budget, you can invest in an automatic watering system.
Step 3:
- Frequently check your plant to see the water condition of your tomato plant.
- If you forget to water their plant, you can use an alarm to remind you to do so.
As far as overcrowding is concerned, it causes the plants to struggle for nutrition, and they can get leggy if they don’t get enough nutrients. To fix that, you need to repot the plant.
Method 3: Repotting the Plant to Fix Legging in Tomato Plant
Sometimes, we plant tomato plants very close to each other, or as a result of reproduction, a specific place gets overcrowded with plants over time.
It causes plants to compete over nutrients, resulting in leggy tomato plants.
If this seems to be the case with your particular plant, follow the steps to learn how to fix leggy tomato plants.
When executing these step, remember to take into account the weather.
You do not want to relocate the plant in harsh weather as when plants a relocated, they are more vulnerable, thereby decreasing their chances of survival.
The steps are:
Step 1:
- Look for the roots of your tomato plant.
- If they seem to be tightly packed, it is a sign that your plant is overcrowded and requires relocation.
Step 2:
- Gently lift your plant from the soil using a gardening trowel.
- If you want to relocate your plant in a pot, place the lifted tomato plant deep in it; otherwise, place it directly in the soil with adequate room.
Step 3:
- Remove some of the bottom leaves and try to place the plant as deep as possible.
- Settle the tomato plant in the new place.
- Make sure to take care of proper sunlight and adequate watering.
That would be all about how to fix leggy tomato plants.
The Aftercare of a Leggy Tomato Plant
Since plants are living beings, your tomato plant will take time to return to its original shape and size.
During this period, look out for the stems of your plant. If they seem to grow thick in size, it is a sign that your leggy tomato plant is recovering.
Alternatively, also look for new leave sprouting.
Which Method Is the Best to Fix a Leggy Tomato Plant?
You cannot compare the methods used to fix a leggy tomato plant because your tomato plant can be leggy due to any factors mentioned above.
It is important to identify the factor causing your particular tomato plant to be leggy. Once you do that, follow the method that fixes your case, and you are good to go.
For visual assistance:
Conclusion
Growing a tomato plant is a gratifying experience.
Not only do you get to see your plants grow, but you get to enjoy the tomato fruit as well. However, like caring for any other living thing in this world, caring for tomato plants has its challenges.
Leggy tomato plants are more common than you think.
But before you scrape the idea of growing tomato plants over the fear of leggy plants, consult our guide on how to fix leggy tomato plants via 3 easy methods.
You will find yourself turning into a tomato enthusiast. Feel free to leave feedback and questions in the comment section below!
Regards,
Happy planting!