Another Update Plants have definitely improved, are probably twice the size they were in the original pics, and have filled out quite a bit. While they're behind, fruit is beginning to set. On several plants I've pinched off the lower branches / leaves (a good foot off the ground) due to them yellowing and dying. The upper 2/3rds of the plants are a nice dark healthy green. They are continuing to grow - but I'm keeping a close eye on the lower leaves. While I've lost some lower sections of the plants, those where the leaves have died off (or branches I've removed b/c of it) have new green growths sprouting. Christy ^^ I too didn't want to fertilize much, especially considering I purchased some really good compost. I don't know if it's the change in weather or the fact that I fertilized but the plants look much better now. I doubt overwatering is my problem as I've held off this year. They only get water when the soil is very dry. I'll try to take some new pics in the next day or so. Joe

Blossom end rot (BER) See the Tomato FAQ http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/tomato/ Here is a link that might be useful: BER is 2nd item in FAQ

Forgot to mention it, but you can see it in the photos, the veins of the Early Girls especially, but on all the tomatoes in general, are purpleish. The leaves aren't turning colors, but they're kind of tough and leathery. I'm starting to feel like a garden hypochondriac. Every time I look up a new tomato disease or pest, I'm convinced that's what I have, so I'm hoping you all can help me narrow it down. After looking at pictures, I'm thinking maybe the bugs are thrips, and maybe they've spread TSWV to the plants, but some of the physical symptoms of TSWV don't sound exactly right on the money. I'm so confused. I always thought gardening was so simple - throw plants in the ground, water, voila! Not so, I'm afraid. Soooo not so.

Many years ago when Spike owned GW there were so many threads/posts here in this Forum that he was convinced to set up the Pest and Disease Forum and set up the photo Forum as well at the same time. And I, for one, spent a great deal of time in that Pest and Disease Forum, many hours a day as did some other folks. But there comes a time, I think, that other folks should be helping out over there. But most of the threads and posts I see here are from folks relatively new to tomato growing and I can see that they haven't experienced the pests and diseases that many of us, shall I say "older" folks have, I mean with tomatoes, not us personally. LOL So I stopped answering questions about tomato diseases and pests several years ago, with few exceptions. And I know others who have also stopped posting in that Forum as well as this one re the same subject. Many of us read and post at several message sites and thus have less time and desire to post here that much. But everything is cyclical so who knows what will happen next. Hopefully what I've said above will make some sense to you b'c if there's no learning going on, no others with disease and pest experiences helping out, then most of those kinds of questions will be asked here and soon we'll be back to square one with a good portion of the threads here dealing with diseases, which I don't think is positive. Before there was this Tomato Forum tomatoes were discussed in the Vegetable Foum and when the tomato questions ended up being the most common in that Forum, then this Forum was set up by Spike. And so it goes. Carolyn