Jonathan, An interesting observation. Not sure what 'tip' means. Probably you did not mean those dormant 'scale shields' that first drop off at dormancy break, cannot remember the right technical term. Just went out to inspect all my figs trees. Noticed some that fit your description. At this early stage of spring, I noticed some figs with 'still tightly' held buds that looked reddish. On very close examination, I noticed that it is ACTUALLY the underside of the (very young) curled leaves that FIRST shows up, together with their underside veins! This is what gives the 'tip' the red hue. No contradiction here. Then the leaf flips over and the vein red color fades, as it matures. This is what I observed: My 2 HCs (sources: EL and Hartmann) showed it. Sal's (EL) showed it. VdB (EL) showed it. My #4 unknown (Ta Cenc) showed it (wonder what this fig really is!). My #2 (MOST obvious, also observed by Herman last year) and #5 unknowns (supposedly of the Mission fig type) showed it. All other figs none... Specifically looked at the Black Mission and Vista Mission young figs (both) from Jon, and neither showed it! They may in a more advanced leafing out stage. However I did observe the the Vista breba start as a bead-sized, shoe-polish-black color, and then fade away as the figlets grows... George (NJ).

It does look like nutrient deficiencies, which have the twin benefits of being slow and correctable. The interveinal yellowing, where the veins stay green, is more likely magnesium than iron... but the real way to tell is where it's happening. Magnesium starts at the bottom, iron starts at the top. The pictures make me guess it's the former; you could mix up a tablespoon or so of epsom salts in a spray bottle and spritz down the plants, and see whether the leaves color up again. The yellow leaves probably are nitrogen, and a light foliar feed is very unlikely to give them too much nitrogen. Spray them down with fish emulsion and see if they green up. If they do, start giving them light doses of nitrogen regularly. Clay soil can be very rich in just about everything... except nitrogen; your amendments weren't with anything that would boost that N level for any length of time, particularly if the chicken manure was old. Best of luck -- the plants should be fine once you can give them what they need. --Alison

The planters I'm using hold 17 quarts of soil...so 4 1/4 gallons. Yeah, I'm coming to the conclusion this is a problem. This is the second year I've used these and I think the same thing happened last year. The first half of the season they grew like crazy and sometime in July I started seeing that purpling pattern and the plants gradually did worse and worse. Last year I chalked it up to them getting some disease, but now I think it was probably the same root-boundness / watering problems. Ironically my plants have been even growing even more vigorously this year (which may be due to this Mycogrow, a mycorrhizal supplement I added to the soil) and hense have become even more solidly rootbound than I remember them being last year. At least I've gotten some nice big ripe tomatoes from it (just picked my first 4 this morning), as I did last year, but I think maybe one just has to expect an early deterioration and end to the season with these things. I probably won't use them again next year. The maker of the planter recommends determinant varieties, but my plants, I think, are indeterminant--at least one surely is. (The garden center evidentaly got their plants mixed up because niether plant is producing the color tomatoes I expected, so I really don't know what they are.) Between the plant hanger, and the metal railing around the deck these are on, I manage to tie up and support branches as necessary. Anyway, thanks for the reply, Alison. I'll try to keep the watering as even and moderate as possible and see how it goes. --Eric

Thanks for the follow-up, everyone. Actually, the leaves that appear to be eaten belong to an ill-conceived dwarf sunflower (which despite being eaten and the shade from the toms nonetheless managed to bloom). There's relatively little tomato leaf eating going on, although I did just catch my first hornworm caterpillar - the kids are keeping it in a jar and feeding it random tomato leaves for now (I suspect it will meet an untimely death if it actually manages to get to the moth stage...). I've looked at the various leaf curl threads - I agree it's likely that. I use straight-up Mel's Mix (1/3 mixed compost) with some 14-14-14 CRF thrown in at mixing time for good measure. I've given the plants probably three MG feedings but have come to the conclusion that I need to move away from high-nitrogen ferts for tomoatoes. I've just gotten an organic fish/kelp fertilizer and will use that instead (it's 2-5-1) and will probably alternate that with MG Tomato (18-18-21). Other than the micro-nutes from MG I haven't added anything else. Interesting observation about Mel's Mix draining too fast but somewhat hard to act on. I've been pruning down to one vine, so that could be a stress factor as well. I've also sprayed with Serenade thinking I had something more serious. Thanks again for the feedback - any other insights would be very welcome.