Should I be concerned?

poeticchampion · June 9, 2016

Hi all,

I planted my tomato plants about 4 weeks ago in my newly built raised beds (used good quality top soil blend and leaf mulch to fill). This year I have only planted 4 plants, two of which are Cherokee Purple (the others are Sungold, which are doing better than the CP). These plants don't seem to be doing much and I am wondering if I should be concerned. The leaves have this sort of dark green, dried up look to them (hard to describe without sounding stupid) instead of the soft, green airy look that I'm used to, if that makes sense. It's like the leaves are rigid.
I look a few pics. Sorry for the quality but it was nearly dusk.

I have been applied some fish emulsion and miracle grow a couple times, but no change. We've been getting plenty of rain, too.

Anyone have an idea what the issue could be?

Thanks in advance!

clkeiper · June 9, 2016

looks like herbicide damage to me. Does the leaf feel like leather? has anyone sprayed a lawn for weeds close to you or your lawn for weeds? I suspect 2,4-d. I would imagine it will eventually grow out of the damage, but if it was me and I had another plant I would remove it and replace it.

poeticchampion · June 9, 2016

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.

No herbicides or lawn applications have been made of any kind, other than Miracel Grow and fish emulsion.

PhilaGardener · June 9, 2016

Broadleaf herbicide treatments of hay fields introduce contamination, it isn't just spray drift that we have to worry about. Many folks are seeing problems with manure (it passed through the animals) and commercial compost products. I see you are using hay/straw as mulch, so that might be the source of your problem, even if you didn't add amendments!

poeticchampion · June 10, 2016

I just put the straw on in the last week, but the condition was already in existence.

What's perplexing is the Sungold is doing much better with same moisture level, same soil, same light, same straw and same fertilizer/fish emulsion.
Makes me crazy.

Nematode · June 10, 2016

In my experience sungold is much more resistant than other varieties to 2-4-d, dunno about other herbicides. sungolds and sun sugars pulled through and produced well, others not so much.
not sure from the pics if its 2-4-d or something else.

pecker88 · June 10, 2016

Since you ruled out herbicide drift and the problem started prior to the straw it's likely too much fertilizer.

I've found out the hard way this year in my new greenhouse that raised beds of 50%-60% compost + fertilizer (fish emulsion, tomato tone, ect...) is too much for everything except broccoli. The peppers are almost all dead and about 3/4 of the tomato varieties look terrible; curled up leaves just like your plants.

My Sun Gold is extremely curled, but somehow has 2 nearly full trusses.
Kellogs Breakfast looks the best, so appears to be tolerant of high N.

poeticchampion · July 11, 2016

To those folks nice enough to help, and offer comments and suggestions (and for others maybe with this problem), I wanted to follow up my post.

I had a professional soil test done on my raised bed. It turns out my PH was at 8, much higher normal, causing the distress with my tomato plants. I added 2 lbs. of Espoma Acidifier (wanted to gradually reduce the PH, targeting a PH of 7.5 or so for now) about two weeks ago. My plants are all looking much better, with greener leaves and more normal foliage.

Thanks to all!

Shapshftr · July 16, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by poeticchampion

Hi all,

I planted my tomato plants about 4 weeks ago in my newly built raised beds (used good quality top soil blend and leaf mulch to fill). This year I have only planted 4 plants, two of which are Cherokee Purple (the others are Sungold, which are doing better than the CP). These plants don't seem to be doing much and I am wondering if I should be concerned. The leaves have this sort of dark green, dried up look to them (hard to describe without sounding stupid) instead of the soft, green airy look that I'm used to, if that makes sense. It's like the leaves are rigid.
I look a few pics. Sorry for the quality but it was nearly dusk.

I have been applied some fish emulsion and miracle grow a couple times, but no change. We've been getting plenty of rain, too.

Anyone have an idea what the issue could be?

Thanks in advance!

The purple means they are lacking Phosphorus.

http://allaboutgrowingtomatoes.blogs...to-plants.html

ginger2778 · July 16, 2016

Mine have gotten that darker stemmed purple,not full leaf look as the start of a Tomato Russet Mite infestation. New growth from the bottom after treatment for TRMs allowed me to still get a crop. True though, the purple indicates P deficiency. I think the TRMs were ducking out all the nutrients, and those stems died.

poeticchampion · July 16, 2016

According to the soil test, the phosphorus was fine. It was the PH completely.
My plants are all now growing normally.

Shapshftr · July 17, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by poeticchampion

According to the soil test, the phosphorus was fine. It was the PH completely.
My plants are all now growing normally.

Well that explains it. The plants can't take up the necessary nutes if the pH is off. Glad to hear they're doing well now.

Barbee · July 18, 2016

Good for you for taking a soil test! Such an easy and cheap thing to do and can make or break your season.

June 9, 2016	#2
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	looks like herbicide damage to me. Does the leaf feel like leather? has anyone sprayed a lawn for weeds close to you or your lawn for weeds? I suspect 2,4-d. I would imagine it will eventually grow out of the damage, but if it was me and I had another plant I would remove it and replace it. __________________ carolyn k

June 9, 2016	#3
poeticchampion Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Westerville, Ohio Posts: 14	Hi, Thanks for the reply. No herbicides or lawn applications have been made of any kind, other than Miracel Grow and fish emulsion. __________________ 'Imagination is more important than knowledge." -A.E.

June 10, 2016	#5
poeticchampion Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Westerville, Ohio Posts: 14	I just put the straw on in the last week, but the condition was already in existence. What's perplexing is the Sungold is doing much better with same moisture level, same soil, same light, same straw and same fertilizer/fish emulsion. Makes me crazy. __________________ 'Imagination is more important than knowledge." -A.E.

July 11, 2016	#8
poeticchampion Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Westerville, Ohio Posts: 14	To those folks nice enough to help, and offer comments and suggestions (and for others maybe with this problem), I wanted to follow up my post. I had a professional soil test done on my raised bed. It turns out my PH was at 8, much higher normal, causing the distress with my tomato plants. I added 2 lbs. of Espoma Acidifier (wanted to gradually reduce the PH, targeting a PH of 7.5 or so for now) about two weeks ago. My plants are all looking much better, with greener leaves and more normal foliage. Thanks to all! __________________ 'Imagination is more important than knowledge." -A.E.

July 16, 2016	#11
poeticchampion Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Westerville, Ohio Posts: 14	According to the soil test, the phosphorus was fine. It was the PH completely. My plants are all now growing normally. __________________ 'Imagination is more important than knowledge." -A.E.

June 9, 2016	#4
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	Broadleaf herbicide treatments of hay fields introduce contamination, it isn't just spray drift that we have to worry about. Many folks are seeing problems with manure (it passed through the animals) and commercial compost products. I see you are using hay/straw as mulch, so that might be the source of your problem, even if you didn't add amendments!

June 10, 2016	#6
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	In my experience sungold is much more resistant than other varieties to 2-4-d, dunno about other herbicides. sungolds and sun sugars pulled through and produced well, others not so much. not sure from the pics if its 2-4-d or something else.

June 10, 2016	#7
pecker88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Lincoln, NE Posts: 192	Since you ruled out herbicide drift and the problem started prior to the straw it's likely too much fertilizer. I've found out the hard way this year in my new greenhouse that raised beds of 50%-60% compost + fertilizer (fish emulsion, tomato tone, ect...) is too much for everything except broccoli. The peppers are almost all dead and about 3/4 of the tomato varieties look terrible; curled up leaves just like your plants. My Sun Gold is extremely curled, but somehow has 2 nearly full trusses. Kellogs Breakfast looks the best, so appears to be tolerant of high N.

July 16, 2016	#10
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Mine have gotten that darker stemmed purple,not full leaf look as the start of a Tomato Russet Mite infestation. New growth from the bottom after treatment for TRMs allowed me to still get a crop. True though, the purple indicates P deficiency. I think the TRMs were ducking out all the nutrients, and those stems died.

July 18, 2016	#13
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Good for you for taking a soil test! Such an easy and cheap thing to do and can make or break your season. __________________ *Barbee*