Drying and dying leaves?

[rweakley]

Planted my tomatoes in the ground, and they aren't doing so hot. I spoke with the master gardener at my local hardware store, and she told me that heirlooms have no resistance to disease and are best grown in buckets. In any case, I sprayed them with liquid copper upon planting and again about 10 or so days later. I also gave them an iron/micronutrient dose at her recommendation. Nothing seems to help them!

You can see the difference in the photos. I grow all by seed, and grow extras just in case. You can see how lush and healthy the ones in the 1/2 gallon containers look.

Any suggestions?

[flyingbrass]

Originally Posted by rweakley

I sprayed them with liquid copper upon planting and again about 10 or so days later.

Did you spray the potted plants with the same stuff? I'm wondering if the spray is the issue.

[rweakley]

Originally Posted by flyingbrass

Did you spray the potted plants with the same stuff? I'm wondering if the spray is the issue.

Good point. I did not spray it on the leftover plants. The stuff is about a year old. I used it all season last year as a preventative measure because I had a case of bacterial spot the previous fall.

It is Southern Ag liquid copper fungicide.

I also sprayed it on my jalapeños that are in 5 gallon buckets with miracle grow potting mix. They are also exhibiting some leaf damage, but not to the extent the tomatoes are.

[efisakov]

After you spray them, let them regrow before panicking. I did, so I know all about it. Every day coming to my garden and looking at them. Look at the new grows. If they get infected ... then you still have a problem. If not. You are good. The bottom leaves that close to the ground I usually remove once my tomatoes are 3 feet tall. They often get splashed with water and soil particles. They can get infected.
I had similar looking leaves on my cherokee and carbon. It is ok, they lived. I spray with mixture: 1 spoon Epsom salt, 2 spoons dish wash detergent, 3 sp. baking powder with 1 gal. water.
Make sure the sparing is light as a mist. Strong spray and to much whatever you spray with can be harmful to the leafs.
Good luck.

[rweakley]

I'll keep that in mind.

They leaves did not do this until after the second spraying. I did, however, give them a thorough soaking. I just use a hand spray bottle. I do mist them, but quite a lot. I'll go gentler.

What does your soap mixture accomplish?

[efisakov]

I think it makes it stick better. May help with some fungus diseases. I did not want to use chemicals. So I researched for home remedies/organic sprays. That is what I found was used by quiet a few people. Even that spray, if I spray to much gives a bit of a burn that shows on the edges of the leaves.
We learn from mistakes.
good luck, they will be fine

[pdxwindjammer]

I think it is hogwash that heirlooms have no resistance to disease. I have been growing almost strictly heirloom tomato plants, from seed, for years and know many others that do the same.

Don't give up on heirlooms because of what one master gardener has told you.

Good luck with your plants!

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

I think it is hogwash that heirlooms have no resistance to disease. I have been growing almost strictly heirloom tomato plants, from seed, for years and know many others that do the same.

Don't give up on heirlooms because of what one master gardener has told you.

Good luck with your plants!

I strongly agree.

[matilda'skid]

Maybe your Master Gardener knew of soil disease problems in your area. I think you need a Florida tomato grower to advise you. It seems I've read other posters in parts of Florida who have trouble growing in the ground because of some problem - maybe it was nematodes. With your warm climate you are going to have more fungus problems. Maybe she or he meant you need tomatoes bred for disease resistance.

[rweakley]

Originally Posted by matilda'skid

Maybe your Master Gardener knew of soil disease problems in your area. I think you need a Florida tomato grower to advise you. It seems I've read other posters in parts of Florida who have trouble growing in the ground because of some problem - maybe it was nematodes. With your warm climate you are going to have more fungus problems. Maybe she or he meant you need tomatoes bred for disease resistance.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what she was talking about.

I think what I did was overdoing either the copper or iron. I misted the copper, but sprayed a LOT. And since she told me that if I sprayed the iron I should use a sprayer that had not had other chemicals in it before. I didn't have that, so I just poured it over the plants like rain

I'm still new at this whole gardening thing. I'll learn from my mistakes. In any case, they have all sprung back and look healthy as can be! Can't wait til they start giving me ripe fruits!

[BigBrownDogHouse]

Originally Posted by pdxwindjammer

I think it is hogwash that heirlooms have no resistance to disease. I have been growing almost strictly heirloom tomato plants, from seed, for years and know many others that do the same.

Don't give up on heirlooms because of what one master gardener has told you.

Good luck with your plants!

I'm the furthest thing from an expert here but I completely agree.
I've read and heard the stories about heirlooms and their problems and have only really had two plants that come to mind that had major issues. One just never looked healthy and one started out strong but died mid Summer from unknown causes......and I grow about 80-85 in my garden a year....in the ground.
Rainy COLD mid-western Spring's, hot mid-western Summer's and every type of weather in between.

They might not all look beautiful come late September/early October but very few have ever let me down from disease. <knock on wood>

Hang in there!

[b54red]

Originally Posted by matilda'skid

Maybe your Master Gardener knew of soil disease problems in your area. I think you need a Florida tomato grower to advise you. It seems I've read other posters in parts of Florida who have trouble growing in the ground because of some problem - maybe it was nematodes. With your warm climate you are going to have more fungus problems. Maybe she or he meant you need tomatoes bred for disease resistance.

Nematodes and fusarium can make many places down here very inhospitable to heirloom tomatoes. There are some varieties that have a bit more resistance to the soil borne problems. I myself have been growing mostly heirlooms for years but the turnover rate is very high. Many do not survive long enough to produce fruit and many others die after producing only a few tomatoes. Fusarium is the main culprit in my garden. I am experimenting with grafting onto resistant rootstock this year and hope to have nothing but grafts in my garden this season to give them a real test. I am hoping that grafting will give me an opportunity to grow some of my favorite varieties that just can't cut it in my garden soil. This will be the first year ever that I don't have some Big Beefs in my garden for insurance. They may not be the best tasting tomato but they are far better than most resistant hybrids and they at least have a chance of producing a good crop. I hate dealing with growing in containers but will usually have 5 or 6 tomato plants in them each season.

Below are some of the heirloom varieties that I have found more success with down here:

Indian Stripe*
Cherokee Purple*
Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red*
Neves Azorean Red*
Kosovo*
Spudakee*
Lumpy Red
Stump of the World
Eva Purple Ball
Zogola*
Frank's Large Red
Black Krim
Lescana
Gary O' Sena*
Dr. Wyches Yellow
Dana's Dusky Rose
JD's Special C Tex

The ones with the stars after them have been the most consistent performers over the past few years; but none of them are guaranteed producers if your fusarium or nematodes are really bad. Keeping them pruned to a more open growth habit and keeping them sprayed with Daconil will help considerably with foliage diseases which can wipe you out as fast as the soil borne problems during especially muggy weather. Be ready with new seedlings to replant if necessary. You will have plenty of time right up til August but the later you plant the harder it is to keep them alive that first couple of weeks in the blistering summer heat.
Plant a couple of Big Beef, Bella Rosa or Celebrity hybrids to give you some insurance tomatoes. The reason I suggest planting several hybrids is that even they are no guarantee down here; they just have a better chance than most of the heirlooms.

Bill

[whistech]

Bill, I am 2 Big Beef plants in my raised beds. It is good to know that they will probably taste pretty good.

[rweakley]

Cherokee purple is in the garden. I tried a black krim on my very first attempt at growing tomatoes. It was in summer of '11 in a 5 gallon bucket. I think it got a case of bacterial spot and was a sad thing to behold.

I really like the CPs and the brown berries. I made a pizza sauce with the Amish pastes with home grown oregano and basil too. Kids said it was the best they had ever tasted!

Heirlooms are good and fun. I like that I keep acquiring more of them without having to pay too! Whenever I'm at a restaurant that serves heirlooms or a grocery store that sells them, I save a few seeds.

Now just gotta figure out how to root cuttings. Tried yesterday with one (keeping down to 1 or 2 stems in hopes of larger fruits) and put some hormone on it and wet soil. Its now very limp and hanging over the cup its in. I'll keep trying 'cause there's some other large suckers ready to be pruned.

[efisakov]

I would add to Bill's list of heirloom varieties to grow Carbon, it was similar to Cherokee Purple in disease resistance and taste but more productive for me.