Any help on tomato plant growth?

Hulamom · July 15, 2021

I’ve been using Raybo’s 321 mix in the same 5 gal swc since I joined Tomatoville over 10 yrs ago. But this year something has happened and I can’t figured out what’s happened. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this. I haven’t changed anything in years and have had great tomatoes each season, some seasons I had to deal with powder mildew but that’s about as bad as it got. Every year before starting, I clean my containers, cages and pipes with bleach and use the same time released fertilizer with same potting mix, orchid bark and perlite and later Texas Tomato Food. When I first plant them in the swc, they’d grow with no problem but then this growth starts up. I tried spraying a mixture of epsome salt and water but haven’t seen any change. Ive also started with new bags of potting mix, new bags of perlite, new bags of bark, new bags of lime, and new bags of time released fertilizer. I’ve grown regular and dwarf plants from seedlings. Has anyone seen this grown or know why this is happening? I’m in Hawaii on Oahu, Kaneohe side. Any help is much appreciated!

rnewste · July 15, 2021

Something is definitely wrong. I have 2 thoughts - either a fertilizer N-P-K imbalance, or the plants have been exposed to herbicide drift.

Raybo

Hulamom · July 15, 2021

Aloha Ray,
I was think of herbicide but no one has been spraying around my neighborhood. I’ve used the same mix (your mix) for years and this is the first time I’ve seen this on my plants. It’s driving me crazy!

Hulamom · July 15, 2021

Ray,
What’s strange is, this doesn’t happen to the plants when I transplant the seedlings to a larger pot using just the potting mix until I can get them into the swc. My house is higher up than the homes around me. The same people who live behind my house haven’t sprayed around their property. Also, the trade winds blow a different direction away from my house and my direct neighbors up wind from me won’t use any type of spray. I could test my potting mix but not having changed anything in years makes me guess it isn’t that.
Lucy

paradajky · July 15, 2021

Is it just this one plant, or a whole bunch of them?

rnewste · July 15, 2021

The leaves have a "veriegated" appearance to them which makes me think it is something related to your fertilizer. Maybe Paul F or RayR have some insight as to what might be the cause.

Raybo

Tomzhawaii · July 15, 2021

Aloha neighbor,
I have had great luck with my cherry tomatoes and wild currents this "season".But U.H. can do a leaf sample for you. It might give some idea of your situation.
Tom

Hulamom · July 16, 2021

Tom,
When I have some time, I’ll give them a call. This happens only to some of the plants and not others. Using the same medium and fertilizers for the last 10 yrs, and this started happening. I saw it in some other tomato plants at Home Depot. Not all their plants were affected also. It’s so thrange.
Mahalo,
Lucy

PaulF · July 16, 2021

A leaf diagnosis by U of H would be the best bet. If this were happening here I would suggest a viral infection, perhaps curly leaf virus caused by white flies. It is vectored by sweet potato white flies. There is no cure so far as I know. You are doing everything right but something is wrong.

Are all your plants like this? If only one pot is infected it may be some other problem. Hawaiian Master Gardeners at the U of H may have better answers. My opinion half a world away may not mean much.

Hulamom · July 16, 2021

Not all my plants are like this. None of the non tomato plants are affected and none of the smaller tomato plants that hasn’t been transplanted into the swc are not affected either.

I will contact them. Thank you all for the advice. I’ll let you all know if and when I get an some info from them. I can contact them tomorrow but won’t be able to bring then a sample until next week. Unless they can diagnose the problem with the pic.

This has been so frustrating and disappointing.

zipcode · July 17, 2021

I'm 96% sure that's a virus.

MrBig46 · July 17, 2021

I think it's tomato chlorosis.
It wants to spray the leaf with a product containing Fe
Vladimír

Fred Hempel · July 17, 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by zipcode

I'm 96% sure that's a virus.

Maybe TMV

PaulF · July 17, 2021

I agree with Fred.

Hulamom · July 20, 2021

Thank you all for your help.
I think Fred is right! I clicked on the link to TMV and that’s what it looks like. I don’t know how my plants got it. I’m going to cut take all the infected plants and burn them. Clean all my tools and try not to infect any other plants.
UH agriculture couldn’t help me due to Covid.

Big Mahalo to you all!
Aloha, Lucy

July 15, 2021	#3
Hulamom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hawaii Posts: 53	Aloha Ray, I was think of herbicide but no one has been spraying around my neighborhood. I’ve used the same mix (your mix) for years and this is the first time I’ve seen this on my plants. It’s driving me crazy! Last edited by Hulamom; July 15, 2021 at 06:29 PM.

July 16, 2021	#9
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,294	A leaf diagnosis by U of H would be the best bet. If this were happening here I would suggest a viral infection, perhaps curly leaf virus caused by white flies. It is vectored by sweet potato white flies. There is no cure so far as I know. You are doing everything right but something is wrong. Are all your plants like this? If only one pot is infected it may be some other problem. Hawaiian Master Gardeners at the U of H may have better answers. My opinion half a world away may not mean much. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

July 16, 2021	#10
Hulamom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hawaii Posts: 53	Not all my plants are like this. None of the non tomato plants are affected and none of the smaller tomato plants that hasn’t been transplanted into the swc are not affected either. I will contact them. Thank you all for the advice. I’ll let you all know if and when I get an some info from them. I can contact them tomorrow but won’t be able to bring then a sample until next week. Unless they can diagnose the problem with the pic. This has been so frustrating and disappointing. Last edited by Hulamom; July 16, 2021 at 01:07 AM.

July 17, 2021	#14
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,294	I agree with Fred. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

July 15, 2021	#2
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Something is definitely wrong. I have 2 thoughts - either a fertilizer N-P-K imbalance, or the plants have been exposed to herbicide drift. Raybo

July 15, 2021	#5
paradajky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2021 Location: Coastal Southern CA Posts: 164	Is it just this one plant, or a whole bunch of them?

July 15, 2021	#7
Tomzhawaii Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Honolulu ,Hawaii Posts: 262	Aloha neighbor, I have had great luck with my cherry tomatoes and wild currents this "season".But U.H. can do a leaf sample for you. It might give some idea of your situation. Tom

July 17, 2021	#11
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	I'm 96% sure that's a virus.

July 17, 2021	#12
MrBig46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Czech republic Posts: 2,534	I think it's tomato chlorosis. It wants to spray the leaf with a product containing Fe Vladimír

July 20, 2021	#15
Hulamom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hawaii Posts: 53	Thank you all for your help. I think Fred is right! I clicked on the link to TMV and that’s what it looks like. I don’t know how my plants got it. I’m going to cut take all the infected plants and burn them. Clean all my tools and try not to infect any other plants. UH agriculture couldn’t help me due to Covid. Big Mahalo to you all! Aloha, Lucy