Have you used any manure or hay that might be contaminated with herbicide like 2-4 D, or aminopyralid? That can cause "fernlike" growth, spindly plants, and distorted fruit. If you suspect contamination with aminopyralid, I would think twice about eating any of your affected produce this year...

We did use composted cow manure that we got at Lowe's. I nor any of my neighbors uses chemical pesticides on the lawn that I know of. Where the cayenne pepper was, there was no manure, just MG Organic Choice Garden soil. This seems to be the only plant affected. Should I scrap it, because I have no idea what it could have been contaminated with.

Did that composted cow manure from Lowe's have a rather "gasoline" or 'off' chemical smell? Locally (Central Virginia) we have had some bags of potting mix and humus/manure which smell ""strongly"" of gasoline/chemicals. Lowe*s/Home*Depot/Cost*co have all had the bags.

DL

No not that I noticed at all. The only other thing I could think of is that a few weeks ago, I mulched the adjacent plants with grass clippings I cut from right against the fence. Our fence backs up to a big field that's maintained by our HOA and I have no idea what they use on that grass. If that were the case though, why is it jut one plant affected. All my tomatoes put out about 5 in of new growth since planting out and this is the only one with this issue.

If it is herbicide damage, and it looks like it is, then there is no need to pull the plants. They will most likely grow out of it unless the contamination is very severe.

There have been many herbicide damage plant posts so far this year. The stuff drifts for miles in the air and long distances in water run-off.

Dave

Honestly, to me it doesn't look that bad. Did you get any cold snaps in weather recently? Excessive rain? I'd expect it to be curled much more than what I'm seeing in the pictures if it were herbicide damage.

In my area we had some cold weather, some heavy rain, and then a 90 degree heat wave. Some of my plants developed some leaf curl, some had thin leaves develop, but now that things are settling back down again the leaves are coming out normal again.

It's possible it could be herbicide damage, but it just doesn't look that way to me with the pictures you've posted. If things get worse, post some more pictures and someone here should be able to make a more definitive call - but for now, I'm going to guess it's just environmental conditions causing it.

No recent cold snaps. In fact, its been unseasonably warm here until the last few nights. Now its avg temp for this time of year. No heavy, heavy rains either. I guess I'll just let it play out and see. The only ONLY thing I've applied to my tomatoes is Neem, about 3 times now since the middle of May to control flea beetles.

I agree with the environmental cause right now.
Herbicide damage looks far, far worse than what you are seeing and shows up primarily on new growth.

Lee