Eggplant and Tomatoes with bad leaf curl, sick plants.

[stevef22]

Hi, I planted about 6 tomatoes and 2 eggplants in my newly made garden. Also planted spaghetti squash and some pepper plants.

I bought 10 yards of premium garden formulated soil from local soil yard. Its contains some manure because every now and then I get a good wiff. Its nice dark soil with little sand and compost to make it very light and easy to work with.

All 6 tomatoes and 2 eggplants are having leaf curl after 3 weeks, very thin - underdeveloped new growth.

The leaves from the original transplants are hanging in there but any new growth is severely stunted and the entire plant is thinning quickly.

Whats strange is my spaghetti squash is looking very healthy and happy, also transplants planted at same time. The peppers look about the same as I planted them, no new growth.

What could this be?

Im thinking...

A) Virus
B) 10 yards of soil mix is still too "hot"
C) Herbacide in soil mix from manure
D) Plants contained virus from nursury
E) Over / under watering

I live in San Antonio Texas, it has been pretty warm with normal swings in temp. Nothing lower than 60F in past three weeks.

Please see attached pictures.

[oakley]

I didn't see this post.
I like to review some diseases and pest this time of year. I'm a month from planting out.
Still in pots. I had one tomato, a wispy leaf type, curl on me. Then the newer growth
was fine. Now i can't find it so it recovered. Hence the looking up leaf-curl.

I'm no expert so hopefully other will assist.

I think your soil may be to 'hot'. Or herbicide damage in the mix.
I usually use that type of compost just as a top dressing on bedding plants, not the
vegetable garden. My compost that is still cooking but looks ready, sits in black bags
for an extra few, or more, months. Then it gets mixed in with my garden 'tired' soil.

Wondering if the 'soil yard' supplier recommended this for the vegetable garden.

So many things cause leaf roll. Usually hot and dry weather, then lots of rain. Quickly
hot/dry again. Stress. But not usually the dead browning of the leaves.

Nursery plants, transplant shock, in that wet hot mess just might have done them in.
Curious how it all looks now.

[VC Scott]

Looks like herbicide damage to me. How close is your neighbor? Has he sprayed Roundup in his yard?

I would also check the soil you imported by planting some bean seeds in a small container. Keep the container away from any possible over-spray. If the beans sprout and look good, then the soil is OK. If the beans sprout and look damaged, the problem is likely the soil.

[gdaddybill]

Herbicides like Grazon can go from hay to animal to manure. If it's affecting every plant that you used the soil mix on it is likely herbicide.

[brownrexx]

I am also thinking herbicide damage. Tomatoes are very sensitive to this. The bean test is what I would do. Just take a cup of the soil indoors and plant a bean seed or two in it and water.

If you have herbicide in the soil, the beans will emerge in a couple of days and look all twisted. If they look good then maybe you have some herbicide drift from someone else's spraying nearby. Do you spray your lawn?

[greenthumbomaha]

Herbicide damage it seems to me too. I see it every year as I start plants in a suburban area with small lots and neighbors that have their lawns done. Both sides have small children/grandchildren. What a shame they have this done.

I've been dutifully carrying trays in when I see the nasty fertilizer guy pull up. He has something new this year, a motorized stand up scooter with a bin on the front to drop his poisons.

I thought I dodged the bullet, but the neighbor on the other side has True Green. I saw the little sign when I got home. Two days after the fact I noticed the damage. Next year I should take only half my plants out on alternate days.

My plants are quite ahead by the time they start spraying here, and that may give them a bit more chance of survival. They are ugly for a while but most outgrow the damage and go on to produce well. I don't know if the same would hold true for herbicides in the soil compared to drift.

- Lisa

[mdvpc]

Steve-I agree it looks like herbicide damage. The pea or bean test suggested in this thread is a good idea. I live in SA also, and before I filled my raised beds, I went to the place I wanted to purchase my compost from and they gave me a sample to try with the bean or pea test. I don't know the current thinking on how long it takes herbicide to leach out. I recall some threads here when other folks had this same problem, and I think there are suggestions on what to do.