More tomato woes

15 years ago

Hello all I sent some pics about a month ago of some plants that I croaked which appeared and probably was too much fertilizer. I have another plant that is showing similar symptoms that was planted about a month ago with a 9 month control release fert. I have done nothing else with the plant but water a few days a week.

Whatever is happening starts with this picture below. The effected leaves loose rigidity, they just become very soft and pliable. Ultimately they just brown and die. Is this just old leaves or a systemic problem. Once this starts it usually knocks out the whole plant in time. Also, what is affecting the leaves has also affected some of the flowers. The stem thins, flower dries and dies.

The plant looks great other then this symptom it is starting to show. Problem area's are closer to bottom of plants at the moment. Once a leaf is affected, it usually affects everything on stem.

Plant Info

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Plants looks very healthy other wise

Brandywine tomato

Planted in 15 gallon container

Drip irrigated 2-3 days per week

Average temp 85 degrees

Using a 9 month fert with micro nutrs. (I know fert length is to long, could not find a 3 month with micros)

Using Als 511 mix. Peat / Perlite / Garden Lime / Pine Fines

Hopefully I am just jumping the gun here, but I have seen some of my other plants loose practically all of there leaves and reduce tomato production to this. Would like to prevent it this time if possible.

I did spray milk / soap on the leaves yesterday thinking maybe a fungus of some sort. Or is it just the normal course of the plant?

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Comments (12)

anney
15 years ago
linchat

I think it's very difficult to identify many tomato problems from pictures unless they're common and recognizable (some are), but I have to say that doesn't look like fertilizer or environmental damage to me. Of course, I could be wrong.

Can you include your state in your personal information? The zone is helpful, but if you are in zone 10 in Florida, I'd suspect the Tomato Yellow Leaf-Curl Virus, whereas I might not if you're in another state.

Your best bet is to take several pictures of the plant, including some of the whole plant as well as close-ups of particularly affected areas, and contact your state agricultural extension office to ask if you can send the pictures for a problem ID.

And don't spray your plant anymore! At some stages of injury, any spray is just more stress.
Bets
15 years ago
Planted in 15 gallon container
Drip irrigated 2-3 days per week
Average temp 85 degrees

I may be totally wrong, but I think you are allowing it to dry out too much. In the summer with those temps I water very thoroughly twice a week and mine are in the ground so they have a larger "resevoir" of moisture to pull on. If I were you, I'd consider getting an inexpensive garden moisture meter.

I have a couple I bought locally (no shipping) a number of years back and IIRC, I paid less than $10 apiece for them.

Bets

Here is a link that might be useful: Low cost moisture meter
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missingtheobvious
15 years ago
I second anney's request for a picture of the plant as a whole.

It is normal for a tomato's bottom leaves to yellow and die as the plant ages. A month seems a bit young for that, perhaps, but stress on the plant would probably accelerate it. However, I'm not an expert.
linchat
Original Author
15 years ago
They are not really yellowing though, that is the problem. The leaves just are turning, well "mushy" for lack of a better word I guess. From green to mushy to brown. Not really turning all that yellow.

At the moment I do not think leaf curl describes this based on what I just read, but sure enough, it does describe one of the plants I lost.\

I planned to started watering more, but, if I stick my finger does into the soil it tends to feel cool.
linchat
Original Author
15 years ago
amney
------
I am in East ZONE 10 (S. FL)

bets
----
I do have moisture meter will have to keep closer eye on moisture

Also, plant gets broken sun in mornings and from 12-6 gets full sun.

Finally Here is a full shot of the plant.
anney
15 years ago
linchat

I think it must be a bacterial or fungal infection of some sort, and you can't treat it until you know what it is. South Florida humidity and insect paradise is a great breeding ground for tomato diseases! Contact your state or county extension agent and ask what kind of pictures you need to send so they can make at least a tentative ID of one or more possibilities.

Also keep Bets's advice in mind. While I don't think underwatering would make leaves "mushy" or gummy but rather all dried out, make sure it has sufficient water. It doesn't look like the plant is ready to expire yet so it's good to think ahead.

And one more thing. The containers. Are they black? The heat of the sun beating on black containers can cook your roots and kill your plants presto.

If they were my plants, I'd transfer them to a container that's light-colored, that won't absorb the sun's heat. Or at the very least, shade the containers in some way.
tn_veggie_gardner
15 years ago
Yea...this is a hard one to call. I would probably agree with bets.
linchat
Original Author
15 years ago
Yeah they are black nursery pots. Dumb question, but what could I cover them with? Can't even think of anything. Can you paint them?
anney
15 years ago
I've never had to paint my containers (they're white or pale gray), but I read that paint doesn't adhere to plastic very securely. Some people wrap a reflecting barrier around the containers, like strips of those cheap "space blankets", or they may cut cardboard or styrofoam to size and paint the outside with aluminum or even white paint and then shade three or four sides of the container with that.

If you can slightly elevate the containers so there's some air-flow under them, that should additionally help keep them cool.
missingtheobvious
15 years ago
Re. changing the color of the pot, here are some other possibilities:

= You can buy spray paint designed for use on plastics. I don't have any idea how well it works. If the paint flakes off, use a different color for the next layer, and pretend the patchwork look is what you were aiming for.

= Wrap the pot in any fabric you have: old sheet, burlap, whatever. Tie it with a ribbon! Or decorate however you like. Maybe paint the fabric.

= Wrap the pot in any light-colored plastic you have. I imagine the typical white garbage bag will disintegrate from UV damage -- but they don't cost much.

= Wrap the pot in aluminum foil. It's cheap too.
big_ed_pa
15 years ago
Auto window screen at the dollar store.
linchat
Original Author
15 years ago
Auto window screen? Really? You mean just the thin film?

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