Herbicide Damage?

adewilliams · May 13, 2022

Hi, friends! Something is very wrong with my tomatoes (and eggplant). I planted them out a couple weeks ago and noticed that the leaves are curling in ways I've never seen before. The growing tips are curled and stunted. It's just bizarre. I've had a lot of problems with tomatoes, but this is new. Also, I planted them in raised beds with soil I get dropped off every year. I'm concerned this problem is coming from the soil.

Thank you!

Labradors2 · May 13, 2022

the third picture does look like "clubbing" from herbicide damage

. If your new soil contains manure, there's your answer.

Linda

**Lee** · May 13, 2022

Agree, it looks like herbicide damage to me as well.
Check with your soil supplier about the source of their materials.
Manure can be an issue as Linda mentioned if the cows grazed on herbicide treated pasture.
I've never encountered this with reputable products such as Black Kow though....

Good luck!

Lee

adewilliams · May 13, 2022

Thank you both! This is very disheartening, but I think you're both right. Any possibility that it might be tomato leaf curl virus?

I think I need to find a longer term/better solution to create my garden. No more raised beds.

VirginiaClay · May 14, 2022

I agree that the third picture seems to show herbicide damage (also some of the growth in the second picture). To test whether the problem is herbicide contamination in the soil, put some of the soil in a pot and plant a few bean seeds in it. After they emerge, the bean plants should show damage pretty quickly if the soil is contaminated.

I wouldn't guess tomato yellow leaf curl virus given the 2nd and 3rd pictures, but if you do have that, you probably would find whiteflies (the vector) on the plants.

loulac · May 15, 2022

Manure isn't pure dung. It is mixed with wheat straw which is more or less contaminated with herbicides.

b54red · May 15, 2022

It doesn't have to be from your soil it could be from a neighbor having their yard or pasture treated. With the wind we have been experiencing it wouldn't necessarily be real near either. If your tomatoes have been in the soil for a while then it is probably herbicide drift. I have had wind born 2-4-D damage several times over the decades and it is best to pull the plants and start over. If it is in your soil you will need to get rid of it as it takes years to breakdown but if you replant tomatoes and it doesn't reappear then it is not likely from the soil you are using. If it reoccurs after replanting tomatoes or beans then I would use that soil for filling low spots in your lawn and refill your beds with pine bark fines, peat, and potting soil.

I feel for you because the first time it happened to me my plants were already five feet tall and loaded with fruit and I didn't have time to start over. The second time it happened it hit my new plants that were hardening off on a table in the yard so I had time to start over.

Bill

adewilliams · May 15, 2022

Thanks everyone! I think I will try to plant some other starts in the soil to see how they do. It's also possible that my neighbor's yard service has been spraying unwanted things my way. That would be better than having figure out what to do with bad soil.

Spartanburg123 · May 15, 2022

Yes, that looks like mine this year. I tried alpaca manure- which contained a lot of hay. After 2 weeks, when the roots hit the manure, they curled up and I lost 18 plants. I was able to save 5 plants, put into pots, and used Black Kow, with no issues. I learned my lesson this year!!

NewWestGardener · May 17, 2022

Sorry to say that the problem with herbicide is that the damage is very long-lasting. I bought contaminated manure a few years back. My tomatoes had fiddle-head like leaves but I was hoping the constant rain in the winter will rinse the bad stuff off.... Nope. I still see the effect of that after several years. Not everything is affected equally.

May 13, 2022	#3
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	Agree, it looks like herbicide damage to me as well. Check with your soil supplier about the source of their materials. Manure can be an issue as Linda mentioned if the cows grazed on herbicide treated pasture. I've never encountered this with reputable products such as Black Kow though.... Good luck! Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

May 13, 2022	#2
Labradors2 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Ontario Posts: 3,895	the third picture does look like "clubbing" from herbicide damage . If your new soil contains manure, there's your answer. Linda

May 13, 2022	#4
adewilliams Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 87	Thank you both! This is very disheartening, but I think you're both right. Any possibility that it might be tomato leaf curl virus? I think I need to find a longer term/better solution to create my garden. No more raised beds.

May 14, 2022	#5
VirginiaClay Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 139	I agree that the third picture seems to show herbicide damage (also some of the growth in the second picture). To test whether the problem is herbicide contamination in the soil, put some of the soil in a pot and plant a few bean seeds in it. After they emerge, the bean plants should show damage pretty quickly if the soil is contaminated. I wouldn't guess tomato yellow leaf curl virus given the 2nd and 3rd pictures, but if you do have that, you probably would find whiteflies (the vector) on the plants.

May 15, 2022	#6
loulac Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: France Posts: 554	Manure isn't pure dung. It is mixed with wheat straw which is more or less contaminated with herbicides.

May 15, 2022	#7
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It doesn't have to be from your soil it could be from a neighbor having their yard or pasture treated. With the wind we have been experiencing it wouldn't necessarily be real near either. If your tomatoes have been in the soil for a while then it is probably herbicide drift. I have had wind born 2-4-D damage several times over the decades and it is best to pull the plants and start over. If it is in your soil you will need to get rid of it as it takes years to breakdown but if you replant tomatoes and it doesn't reappear then it is not likely from the soil you are using. If it reoccurs after replanting tomatoes or beans then I would use that soil for filling low spots in your lawn and refill your beds with pine bark fines, peat, and potting soil. I feel for you because the first time it happened to me my plants were already five feet tall and loaded with fruit and I didn't have time to start over. The second time it happened it hit my new plants that were hardening off on a table in the yard so I had time to start over. Bill

May 15, 2022	#9
Spartanburg123 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Spartanburg, SC Posts: 1,262	Yes, that looks like mine this year. I tried alpaca manure- which contained a lot of hay. After 2 weeks, when the roots hit the manure, they curled up and I lost 18 plants. I was able to save 5 plants, put into pots, and used Black Kow, with no issues. I learned my lesson this year!!

May 17, 2022	#10
NewWestGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 564	Sorry to say that the problem with herbicide is that the damage is very long-lasting. I bought contaminated manure a few years back. My tomatoes had fiddle-head like leaves but I was hoping the constant rain in the winter will rinse the bad stuff off.... Nope. I still see the effect of that after several years. Not everything is affected equally.