Advice and Tips Needed on Plants Browning

[MonsterKittyCat]

I purchased 2 plants about 2 weeks ago from the Farmers Market.

One plant is an heirloom tomato and the other is cat grass.

Heirloom Tomato

I've noticed an increase in some of the leaves turning brown.
Is this normal?

It also has got a lot more new leaves come out just fine though.
I definitely will not use pesticides on this plant though.
I've checked it and I haven't seen any bugs on it.

Is it possible it's getting too much sunlight or is this just a normal process?

Also how much water should this plant be getting daily?
*Note* It's in one of those Topsy Turvey bags so it has a lot of soil in the bag. This is another reason i'm unsure of how much water to give it. Initially it says for the first watering to give it a full gallon. I'm guessing that's just so the soil will all get damp. I've been giving it a half gallon since.


Cat Grass

The cat grass was doing just fine until a few days ago.
Someone over watered it and left it in a bowl so it couldn't drain. I noticed it the next day and the water in the bowl smelled terrible.
I emptied the water and shook it out, then put it in the sun outside to soak up the excess moisture.
It was out there for two days. I checked on it today and half of it's shoots are brown. I looked though the grass and noticed it had mold on it. I plucked those pieces out that I did see.

Was it getting too much sun or was the over watering and mold what's killing it?

Is it salvageable?

 

[Dawgluver]

I think both are salvageable. It's kind of wait and see. Let your catgrass dry out a bit, and don't overwater. Good that you poured out the excess water.

Fungus and disease can cause tomato leaves to turn yellow or brown, but you should be OK. It's normal that all the leaves aren't green and perfect. It may be due to transplant shock. Some Heirloom toms might be less disease resistant than more modern toms. Also, if it's really hot, the leaves might burn a bit. In a TopsyTurvy, I think it would be impossible to overwater. Full sun should be fine.

 

[MonsterKittyCat]

ah good point on it not likely to be able to over water.
Oh yah I have noticed some white patches on some of the leaves. I rubbed it and it seemed to come off.
What is that? Possibly a fungus?

 

[Dawgluver]

Possibly. You mean the cat grass, right? Keep it away from other plants, and let it dry out a bit. If you have hard water, it might be a mineral build-up, but it sounds more like a fungus. You might change out the dirt after rinsing the plant and roots, and put it in a different pot.

If the white stuff is on your tom, and is fuzzy, you might want to use a fungicide spray. If it's crusty, it's probably hard water, and nothing to worry about. If it's mold, don't touch any of your other plants without washing your hands.

 

[MonsterKittyCat]

the white patch is on the tomato plant. The soil is brand new. The entire bag has new soil.
I took a pic of it.

 

[Dawgluver]

That's fungus. Looks like Downy Mildew. If you can, pick off the leaves that look like that, and don't put them in the compost, put them in the garbage. Wash your hands. Keep the plant in as much sun as possible, and try not to get the leaves wet when you water it. Get a good fungicide, maybe one with copper sulfide. Gardens Alive has some good organic stuff, or get something at Walmart or any garden store.

You might want to get a different plant if most of the leaves are infected.

You might also try a spray of white vinegar and water. For just one plant, it might be worth a shot. I'd do 1/2 and 1/2 vinegar and water.

Oh, and pick up and throw away any fallen leaves.

 

[MonsterKittyCat]

That's fungus. Looks like Downy Mildew. If you can, pick off the leaves that look like that, and don't put them in the compost, put them in the garbage. Wash your hands. Keep the plant in as much sun as possible, and try not to get the leaves wet when you water it. Get a good fungicide, maybe one with copper sulfide. Gardens Alive has some good organic stuff, or get something at Walmart or any garden store.

You might want to get a different plant if most of the leaves are infected.

You might also try a spray of white vinegar and water. For just one plant, it might be worth a shot. I'd do 1/2 and 1/2 vinegar and water.

Oh, and pick up and throw away any fallen leaves.

The majority of leaves are like this
It would be impossible not to get the leaves wet because its in a topsy turvey. It's in a spot where it gets a lot of sun.

Hm I guess ill have to try the organic stuff you mentioned. I will try the vinegar mixture first as I really dont want to use any chemicals on it.

I have also heard of doing a baking soda/water mixture. I have tried this for two days and not sure if it hasn't had enough time to work or that it just doesn't work. Have you heard of this, or know if it works?

 

[Dawgluver]

I've never tried baking soda. I was gonna suggest squirting the heck out of it with a hose, but that would just send mold spores all over. I would try the vinegar, and maybe mix a bit (maybe a T) of rubbing alcohol in it. Both are mild disinfectants. Another thought would be spraying with some Lysol, but it might burn the leaves. if you can, get it out of the sun while it dries.

If all else fails, I would get another tomato plant.