Rescue Sad Tomato Plants. Enjoy a fall harvest.

This tomato shows signs of life in spite of brown leaves.

Look for signs of healthy new growth. The plant may have flowers and green fruit.

Once its old leaves are trimmed and it has been sprayed for insects and disease, the plant may come back for fall. Water and fertilize.

Can This Tomato Be Saved?

1. Do you live in a region with a long growing season? Are your tomatoes looking a little rough, like the one pictured? Don't give up quite yet. There may be signs of new life on that tired tomato and time enough to enjoy a fall harvest.
2. Look carefully for small sprouts of healthy green foliage and maybe a few blooms and small, green tomatoes. See any? If so, give your plant a second chance.
3. Trim off every dead stem and leaf; be careful not to cut any main stems leading to new growth. Put the dead material in a bag and get it out of the garden to avoid spreading disease. Rake away old mulch and discard it, too. Water thoroughly at the base of the plant; don't wet the remaining foliage. Fertilize with a liquid fertilizer such as 20-20-20, or fish emulsion if you garden organically. Then sprinkle a little timed-release or organic granular fertilizer around the base of the plant (according to the rate on the label). Refresh with new mulch. Spray the foliage and stems with hydrophobic oil of Neem, which acts as a fungicide, insecticide, and miticide. You'll have to read the fine print on the label to find this name, but it should be in the organic product section of your favorite garden center. Its multiple purposes and natural source fuel favor among gardeners.

Now keep the plant watered and wait and see. By now your plant has a well-developed root system, so if it is still healthy, you may be surprised at how quickly it fills back out and yields a new crop of tomatoes for fall. Your tomato has until the first frost to ripen its new crop and will be a little slower in the cool days of fall.

This technique is especially successful for varieties that mature early, such as the indeterminate Early Girl, and in Zone 7b and south, where tomatoes have a long growing season.