Here's a message from another board, I think this guy has it right? Quote: Originally Posted by RandyG: "These young plants are getting too much nutrition, especially nitrogen. The overly thick stems, balling of the foliage in the top of the plant, and what looks like flowers that are not developing properly due to the over vegetative state are all indications. I would put them on straight water for a few days and then when you go back to the fertilizer solution maybe use half strength until you start to get some fruit set and development of the fruit. Then you could probably go back to full strength if that is not too excessive. Also, I think you are probably watering more than needed at this stage of growth. When you have them on constant feed with lots of water and lots of light, the plants transpire a lot and take up more fertility than they need." End of Randy's response. My reply: Thanks for your help, I think you are DEAD ON! I recently upped my nutrient E.C. from 1.2 to a 2.0. I did this b/c a tech at General Hydroponics said I should, but he also asked if my plants had fruit. I like a dummy said yes, but that's not the whole picture. Due to this being my first time hydroponic grow, logistical problems were encountered causing me to have variably aged plants in my system. My oldest plants do have fruit and haven't been affected; but, the problems are being exhibited on plants that were placed into the system later and they are younger and DO NOT have fruit. My reservoir change is due in a couple of days and I plan on reducing my E.C. back to a 1.3. I'm also thinking of tinkering with my watering schedule to see how long it takes for my plants to begin to wilt and then adjust my watering so that they are flooded a little bit before the wilt begins. Thanks a million for your advice and I'll post an update as to what ends up happening. THE GREENE TOMATO: http://thegreenetomato.wordpress.com Here is a link that might be useful: The Greene Tomato

Leaf curling alone is a physiological condition caused by stress; it's common in stressed plants, including young plants which don't have the root system to support all their foliage yet, or in times of unusually bright sunlight. If you get it by itself, look to see what may have stressed the plant recently; often it's nothing to worry about. The wilting, dead green leaves symptom resembles bacterial wilt, but that's pretty rare in your neck of the woods, and tends to take the whole plant down very rapidly. Stem borers can sometimes do it; look for little holes in the affected stems. Look for any damage to the stem, in fact. With the yellowing and necrosis -- it's hard to see in that small a photo, but it looks like the dark lesions are following the veins. That's diagnostic of a toxin of some kind -- no virus I know of does that in tomato, no bacterium or fungus is that specific, and no deficiency kills the veins before the interveinal spaces. I've seen a symptom almost identical to that in a case of alcohol poisoning (someone had a cocktail party in a library foyer and apparently the drinks weren't very good, as the potted plants looked pretty rough afterward). It was an unusual enough symptom that it became a teaching example. Toxins can come from outside or from the soil. Pyola is perfectly safe for tomatoes, and the heat wasn't excessive, but make sure the dilution was correct, as too high a concentration can burn leaves much like that. Spray damage can also cause wilted and dead green leaves. If you can sacrifice a plant that's badly affected, dig it up to look at the roots, see whether it has lots of crisp, white, fine roots, not dark or knobby ones. Shave away the skin at the soil line to look for discolorations in the woody stem underneath; cut open wilted green shoots to check for hollow centers from stem borers; and finally split open the main stem to see whether it's hollow or discolored inside. I don't expect much except maybe root symptoms, but you really never know. My personal guess is soil toxicity, especially given that the lower and terminal leaves are the worst affected by the yellowing and dying, and some things take a while to build up in the leaves enough to kill them. One important thing to note is that not all toxins are synthetic chemicals -- an excess of certain minerals or nutrients can poison a plant. pH affects root uptake of anything enormously, especially minerals, but it can have its own effect as well. You may need a soil test -- call your Agriculture Department, Cooperative Extension, or U of O to find an affordable lab. I don't see your symptoms in any of the common nutrient toxicity listings, though, which means it could be something chemical, and there is no general panel for that. Down here in California I'd send it to Sacramento's Plant Diagnostics lab or the extension pathologist at U. C. Davis, but I don't know what pathologists you have at your disposal. This is certainly not a cut-and-dried common disease problem, and even a specialist is going to need some lab work to figure it out, I suspect. I wish I had more answers for you, sorry. --Alison

My tomato plants were harden off in the sun and were about 6 inches tall when I planted them in the ground. They were fine and were watered very well but after a few days we received a couple of days of rain. The main stem is getting larger but the plants are curling up as if the were rolling into a ball. They are south facing and are receiving full sunlight about 8 hours a day. Are they getting too much sun

I'm quite sure after reading this thread that i have an answer for my early girls, which are all doing this thick leaf stem growing upwards and twisting (more like a sucker would do), with large, thick leaves that are also turning upwards and rolling/twisting. There is zero discoloration or otherwise poor health indications, i grow in the middle of 50 acres, totally organically, my own compost used, mulched with wood chips a year old from within the property. I've used zero pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Just compost, coco coir, water and my seedlings. They aren't stunted, are growing quite fast actually but, here in Northern California in the Sierra Nevada mountains we've seen record breaking temps between 90-105 for a few weeks straight now and I'm pretty certain my plants are just tired of baking. I'm hanging shade cloth tomorrow and will post pictures as well because it's quite bizarre how hearty they are but growing like an upside down tipi (and it's only my early girls doing this, the other varieties are all fine.)