Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Question: I am growing Large Barred Boar tomato. I bought the seeds from Rareseeds this summer. I only have one plant and it was fairly large and healthy through yesterday.
Actually, it was my largest plant in this batch. Stem is really fat.

The leaves are all green, etc - some leaf-miner damage (but that is pretty much on all my seedlings/young plants).

Today, when I went outside both the branches and leaves are all curled downward. Because of this, the plant looks really freaky and much shorter.

Any ideas? I will take a picture (battery needed charged).

[kayrobbins]

I am stumped. I know there is a tomato virus that causes the leaves to curl up but not down. I am glad that is not what your plant appears to have because there is no cure for that. Have you checked to see if maybe there are some thrips causing damage?

[kurt]

With the humidity and rain there is a chance it might be over watered.Soil looks too black(wet).In the past I have made a circular cardboard cutout (slightly larger than top of container)with a stem hole,cut a slot to the stem hole,fit it around the plant,place hand with split fingers,flip the whole container upside down,have someone massage and remove the container.Inspect for wet roots,soggy soil.But before hand have a container(a little larger) in the ready with fresh dry soil in the bottom,as fast as you can(somewhat on the horizontal)nudge the old wet rootball/plant into new container,place fresh dry medium around the edges,pack dry on top and let the new fresh soil wick up the excess,wet muck if that was the cause upon initial inspection.Place in sun early morning but not in the high heat of the day.Sometimes I find that plastic and wet soggy soil tend to over heat the plant.Some thermometer monitoring might help also.

[Barb_FL]

Thanks for the suggestions:

Thrips - I don't see any of that speckled markings; Didn't see any bugs at all except the white flies - Can you see thrips? Unless what I think of leafminer damage is really thrips.

The leaves curling down, doesn't bother me as must as the branches bending down. I've never had that happen before.

Wetness: - During all the rain, the tomatoes have been on the porch so they aren't getting wet. I've been watering from the bottom by feel on how heavy the plant is. The plant looked like that at 7AM and didn't feel heavy;

These larger plants have been in an empty EB being wheeled in/out. So even if it got too hot, the sun isn't on the container/roots. However, yesterday (Thursday) it rained all day except for about 1 hour which the sun came out really strong. Could it be stress from heating up? even though the roots would not be heated.

I keep all the young plants/seedlings under shade cloth when it gets hot or the sun gets really strong.

This afternoon I bottomed watered the plant; that is probably why it is so dark. But that is a good idea re: removal for the dry roots.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Larry,

Do you want me to send you some BCD now? I have tons of seeds and the plant is VERY forgiving.

Barb

Sure I will save most to try in the spring but I may plant a couple of seeds right away and see if I can get a taste, before it gets too cold, of what sounds like a great tasting tomato.
Thanks,
Larry

[Fiishergurl]

Barb,

I don't know what it is. I have not had that happen. I'm sure you've googled and read the possible causes but just in case below is,a link. I wonder if somehow some fusafium or verticullum (sp?) spore got in the soil.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/causes-...imp-54123.html

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

[ginger2778]

Barb, I see yellow speckling on a few areas. Check for spider mites and/or whiteflies.

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Barb, I see yellow speckling on a few areas. Check for spider mites and/or whiteflies.

I definitely have whiteflies; I can pretty much turn over a leaf on most of my seedlings/young plants and will see between 3-7 whiteflies. That particular plant does not have more/less whiteflies or leafminer??? damage that others.

I sprayed with Safer Insecticidal soap last week.

I will check for spider mites tomorrow.

Tonight I sprayed all tomato plants/seedlings with Neem Oil (the 100%).

[Barb_FL]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

Sure I will save most to try in the spring but I may plant a couple of seeds right away and see if I can get a taste, before it gets too cold, of what sounds like a great tasting tomato.
Thanks,
Larry

I will get them in the mail tomorrow (Saturday).

[Zone9b]

I've seen those white lines on my tomato leaves before. They kind of look like water marks. I was curious what they are and what causes them. Could someone please explain this to me?
Thanks
Larry

[kurt]

You will see this pretty green/blue hued miniature fast flying little devil fly land on your mater leaves and inject a egg into your plant.The egg will mine/eat itsway through the membrane of leaf until it morphs into another devil fly and start all over again.No poisons as of yet will penetrate the leaf membrane to kill the "miner".Spinosad coating on leaf will transfer to flying adult when it pierces the leaf membrane and the fungas will affect the population eventually.In combination with the sticky yellow traps not much else to do.Removal of those "mined" leaves will help stop the population and life cycle.Good Luck.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

I've seen those white lines on my tomato leaves before. They kind of look like water marks. I was curious what they are and what causes them. Could someone please explain this to me?
Thanks
Larry

Larry, those are leaf miners, as Kurt explained above. Yellow sticky traps are magical for limiting them to almost none.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

I definitely have whiteflies; I can pretty much turn over a leaf on most of my seedlings/young plants and will see between 3-7 whiteflies. That particular plant does not have more/less whiteflies or leafminer??? damage that others.

I sprayed with Safer Insecticidal soap last week.

I will check for spider mites tomorrow.

Tonight I sprayed all tomato plants/seedlings with Neem Oil (the 100%).

Barb, don't forget, whiteflies can carry a virus, and if your plant gets it, you have to pull it, it's incurable. Whiteflies are tiny little nightmares. It only takes one infected fly feeding on your plant for 15 minutes to give it a virus. Then more whiteflies feed on that plant, then pass it on to the next one. It's a heartbreak.
So glad you are on it! I suggest you use the neem every 4 days for 3 times to get all the newly hatching ones too, then every 7-10 days after, as a preventive. Also, add a small squeeze of some dish soap, as that ruptures their waxy bodies.

[Imthechuck]

I just ordered the sticky traps! I have lost tomato plants due to that whitefly virus

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/NF/NFREC100.pdf


@marsha how many tsp per gallon of liquid copper do you use?

@kay I plan on making grow buckets putting a tomato plant in them as gifts this year

it's planting time soon I'm waiting till the day's high are around 85 looks like next weekish!!

[kayrobbins]

Originally Posted by Imthechuck

I just ordered the sticky traps! I have lost tomato plants due to that whitefly virus

@marshan how many tsp per gallon of liquid copper do you use?

@kay I plan on making grow buckets putting a tomato plant in them as gifts this year

it's planting time soon I'm waiting till the day's high are around 85 looks like next weekish!!

I think that will be a popular gift. Everyone I have made them for really likes them.