Strange leaf shapes of plants in pots

[newgardener_tx]

I tried growing tomato in pots this season. I bought Miracle Grow Potting mix, planted one plant in 3-5 gallon pot, fed totally tomato food once a week. Everything looked fine. It starts produce. But recently all the tips of tomato plants looked so abnormal. They are very narrow and kind of curled up. All the new growth are like that. All pots (10+) are like that. But plants on the ground are fine with same feed.
Is this some kind of elements deficiency? We did have a lot of rain recently.

[Labradors2]

Looks like you got hit by herbicide drift

Linda

[newgardener_tx]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Looks like you got hit by herbicide drift

Linda

But none of the plants (young or established) on the ground shows this.

[ginger2778]

Are they in the same place as the ground ones? It totally looks like herbicide damage.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by newgardener_tx

But none of the plants (young or established) on the ground shows this.

Maybe it has to do with the medium in the pots.
Is there compost in the medium ?

Gardeneer

[PhilaGardener]

Lots of trouble with herbicides coming in with manures and compost these days. That you only have the problem on the plants in pots is telling.

[JLJ_]

These are a couple of links discussing the problems that can be in manure/compost -- but I understood you to say that you planted in just miracle grow potting mix? If so, that's probably fairly safe . . . hopefully.

http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sfn/wtr11Aminopyralid

http://www.the-compost-gardener.com/picloram.html

But some of the other things that could make all the pots different from all the in-ground plants are soil temp, water amount, nutrition. Any of those seem likely?

[Gardeneer]

Well, i have know people who add manure and compost to soiless potting mix too.
We have to wait for OP's response.

Gardeneer

[zipcode]

From what i read, once you get it, those tips won't recover fast even if the cause stops, and it's best to cut them, and allow new healthy sideshoots to take over instead.

[Starlight]

I don't know the type of tomato food your feeding, but it seems once a week may be too much for the containers. In the ground it can disperse, not so in the containers.

What are the varieties your having trouble with? I have a couple of plants that sort of looked like yours. One variety I am growing is Magalia Rose and It makes that tiny curled foliage and the branches almost all hang down. I thought at first it was something wrong with the plants, but it just the way the foliage is growing and I have to watch and make sure I don't over water as those type of plants look like they need it when actually they don't.

[newgardener_tx]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Are they in the same place as the ground ones? It totally looks like herbicide damage.

They are scattered in the garden. All the ground plants are everywhere too.

I did add some Triple Power Compost (from Home Depot) recently to the plants in pots and ground.

[newgardener_tx]

Originally Posted by Starlight

I don't know the type of tomato food your feeding, but it seems once a week may be too much for the containers. In the ground it can disperse, not so in the containers.

What are the varieties your having trouble with? I have a couple of plants that sort of looked like yours. One variety I am growing is Magalia Rose and It makes that tiny curled foliage and the branches almost all hang down. I thought at first it was something wrong with the plants, but it just the way the foliage is growing and I have to watch and make sure I don't over water as those type of plants look like they need it when actually they don't.

All plants (10+) in the pots showed these strange new growth. Some are cherry ones some are big ones. I fed them with the highly recommended Total Tomato Food once a week.

[Starlight]

I know you Texas folks have had some of the worst weather ever this year for growing.

We don't have that type of tomato food here. I use Tomato Tone. I been giving 2 TBS of Tomato Tone once a month and 1 TBS of Epsom Salt every other week, plus I water 6 days with MG.

With all the rain you had, and higher temps and humidity coming on it could be so many things to include the manure.

Have you checked your pots too, to see if they are getting to hot? I know last year folks here made all kinds of suggestions for keeping the pots cooler . It helped immensely.

[NewWestGardener]

It might have something to do with the compost. We are having a discussion about it in a different thread, but very similar situation.


http://www.tomatoville.com/showthrea...ight=herbicide

[Starlight]

Thanks for that link New West Gardener. : )

Newgardener_TX ... Lots of pros around. Hopefully they can help you with your plants.