Yellowing leaves ID

Orang3 · June 13, 2012

Hi,

I am growing a Sungold in a container and the leaves are yellowing. It start from the bottom of the plant and I have been removing them, but it appears to be slowly moving up the plant. So far it looks like just yellowing, no brown or black spots. Should i keep removing them or wait and see if more symptoms occur?
http://s17.postimage.org/evbkh4mrj/PICT4132.jpg
http://s17.postimage.org/6rqvsh073/PICT4133.jpg

On a better note, my Sungold in the ground are starting to blush

z_willus_d · June 13, 2012

Orang3, I'm getting something very similar on my Sungold this year, as well as many other plants. I'm wanting to say it's Fusarium, but one must cut the main stem and check for brown goo (and supposedly there's a bad associated aroma as well). I'm not ready to take my plants down, but F/V are one of the conditions I'd consider. There numerous other causes of yellow leaves (over/under fert, over watering, iron deficiency w/ green veins, normal leaf death due to age/lack of sunlight, etc.), but you'll have to walk through the possibilities to rule them out.

Good luck, and I'm sure others will help comment on your condition. BTW, if it's fusarium, pulling the leaves really doesn't help much because Fusarium is systemic and in the plant serum.
-naysen

RayR · June 14, 2012

naysen, you forgot one of my favorite causes of yellowing leaves—root bound plants, too many roots and not enough soil.

Sun City Linda · June 14, 2012

Less likely to be one of the wilts since its in a container. Also does not look like it has grown well enough to be rootbound yet. I might try a shot of high N liquid ferts. What did your fertilize with when you planted and have your added anything since?

z_willus_d · June 14, 2012

Linda, I'm pretty sure I'm hitting F/V wilt in my half-barrel tomato containers (.5 x 55-gal). I filled with mostly fresh Sunshine #4, FoxFarm's Ocean Forest, microbark, perlite, etc., but I made the mistake of mixing in a bit of old soil, a questionable potting soil bag, and manure of unknown origin (purchased in bulk delivery). It's hard to draw too many conclusions from just those two pics. pH is another one to consider. We'd need to know the soil, sunlight, potential for other environmental issues, like Round-up in the area. I hope the problem isn't a wilt. They are ugly.

Sun City Linda · June 14, 2012

Nayson - You are not having a good tomato year my friend. I really hope it turns around for you and you get more maters than you can count! I heard on the news yestarday about "Biblical proportions of locusts" in NorCal somewhere. I thought, O please God, don't let them go to Naysons house.

Orang3 · June 14, 2012

I started the container on May 10th with:
miracle gro organic choice soil
kellog's organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer(4-6-3)
few egg shells and 2 aspirin tablets

I dressed with a few tablespoons of the kellog's a few weeks ago and water twice a week. I have other containers with the same set up that do not show any yellowing so I don't think it is lacking N.

If it is Fusarium, is it likely to spread to nearby containers? Should I move it to my front yard where I have nothing growing?

Sun City Linda · June 14, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orang3

I started the container on May 10th with:
miracle gro organic choice soil
kellog's organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer(4-6-3)
few egg shells and 2 aspirin tablets

I dressed with a few tablespoons of the kellog's a few weeks ago and water twice a week. I have other containers with the same set up that do not show any yellowing so I don't think it is lacking N.

If it is Fusarium, is it likely to spread to nearby containers? Should I move it to my front yard where I have nothing growing?

Solid organic fertilizers in containers can take a long time to break down and become available to the plants. People do grow sucessfully using orgaincs in containers, but they are often using additional products, ie: microbes, liquid ferts, etc. It can be a very delicate balance to insure your plants are getting the proper nutrition. Although since your other plants are fine, N may not be an issue.

amideutch · June 14, 2012

Isolate the plant and hit it with a systemic fungicide like EXEL LG and see what happens. You might want to treat your other plants that are not infected with a preventative fungicide like Daconil. Ami

b54red · June 14, 2012

That yellowing doesn't look like the typical yellowing I see every day with fusarium wilt. Here are some pictures of plants with various stages of fusarium wilt for you to look at.

rsg2001 · June 16, 2012

Fusarium will have leaves on random branches scattered throughout the plant turning yellow. (All the leaves on the branch.)

I have used Root Shield in my garden which supposedly does help prevent fusarium wilt by colonizing the plant with a microorganism that helps keep the wilt from getting in at the root level. However, I'm always skeptical of those claims. There are three strains of fusarium wilt. I had a lot of this disease several years ago and, knock on wood, I've had less and less of it since a bad couple of years. But I do a lot of things to try to reduce disease, from regularly using harpin protein (currently available from Gardens Alive in a product it calls Green Guard - it also is marketed as "Employ"), to using a grass mulch, and preventively spraying. I use Serenade and this year am alternating it with Actinovate. All are not chemical based.

June 13, 2012	#1
Orang3 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Southern California Posts: 16	Yellowing leaves ID Hi, I am growing a Sungold in a container and the leaves are yellowing. It start from the bottom of the plant and I have been removing them, but it appears to be slowly moving up the plant. So far it looks like just yellowing, no brown or black spots. Should i keep removing them or wait and see if more symptoms occur? http://s17.postimage.org/evbkh4mrj/PICT4132.jpg http://s17.postimage.org/6rqvsh073/PICT4133.jpg On a better note, my Sungold in the ground are starting to blush

June 14, 2012	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Isolate the plant and hit it with a systemic fungicide like EXEL LG and see what happens. You might want to treat your other plants that are not infected with a preventative fungicide like Daconil. Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

June 13, 2012	#2
z_willus_d Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Eastern Suburb of Sacramento, CA Posts: 1,313	Orang3, I'm getting something very similar on my Sungold this year, as well as many other plants. I'm wanting to say it's Fusarium, but one must cut the main stem and check for brown goo (and supposedly there's a bad associated aroma as well). I'm not ready to take my plants down, but F/V are one of the conditions I'd consider. There numerous other causes of yellow leaves (over/under fert, over watering, iron deficiency w/ green veins, normal leaf death due to age/lack of sunlight, etc.), but you'll have to walk through the possibilities to rule them out. Good luck, and I'm sure others will help comment on your condition. BTW, if it's fusarium, pulling the leaves really doesn't help much because Fusarium is systemic and in the plant serum. -naysen

June 14, 2012	#3
RayR Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cheektowaga, NY Posts: 2,468	naysen, you forgot one of my favorite causes of yellowing leaves—root bound plants, too many roots and not enough soil.

June 14, 2012	#4
Sun City Linda Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: SoCal Inland Posts: 2,705	Less likely to be one of the wilts since its in a container. Also does not look like it has grown well enough to be rootbound yet. I might try a shot of high N liquid ferts. What did your fertilize with when you planted and have your added anything since?

June 16, 2012	#11
rsg2001 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Zone 6 Posts: 479	Fusarium will have leaves on random branches scattered throughout the plant turning yellow. (All the leaves on the branch.) I have used Root Shield in my garden which supposedly does help prevent fusarium wilt by colonizing the plant with a microorganism that helps keep the wilt from getting in at the root level. However, I'm always skeptical of those claims. There are three strains of fusarium wilt. I had a lot of this disease several years ago and, knock on wood, I've had less and less of it since a bad couple of years. But I do a lot of things to try to reduce disease, from regularly using harpin protein (currently available from Gardens Alive in a product it calls Green Guard - it also is marketed as "Employ"), to using a grass mulch, and preventively spraying. I use Serenade and this year am alternating it with Actinovate. All are not chemical based.