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Tomato plant problems

Started by PopeyesPappy, May 30, 2018, 07:17:23 PM

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PopeyesPappy

The leaves on some of our tomato plants are turning black and curling up. I've never seen anything like it. Anybody got any ideas?

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Munch

what type of tomato plant is it, got the genus name?
'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners' - George Carlin

PopeyesPappy

#2
Solanum lycopersicum. Which apparently covers all tomatoes This one is a big boy. Otherwise known as a slicer.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:   Plantae
(unranked):   Angiosperms
(unranked):   Eudicots
(unranked):   Asterids
Order:   Solanales
Family:   Solanaceae
Genus:   Solanum
Species:   S. lycopersicum
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aitm

well..obviously the devil has his hand on it...have you tried prayer? That works on everything ya know....cepting for that which God doesn't want you to have after he told you to go for it......
A humans desire to live is exceeded only by their willingness to die for another. Even god cannot equal this magnificent sacrifice. No god has the right to judge them.-first tenant of the Panotheust

Munch

it could be mold, just something to look up first before hazarding a guess.

https://tomatodiseasehelp.com/leaf-mold

It could also be the fertilizer, since its kind of hard to tell from just one. 

'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners' - George Carlin

SGOS

Quote from: PopeyesPappy on May 30, 2018, 07:17:23 PM
The leaves on some of our tomato plants are turning black and curling up. I've never seen anything like it. Anybody got any ideas?
Yep, tomatoes start out doing fine, and around the end of May they start to curl.  I've had it happen twice.  The first year I replanted them in commercial potting soil (I grew them in big flower pots), and then they were fine once they caught up.

The second year, same thing, but I just let them go to see what would happen.  They survived, but were very slow to produce, and the yield was not good.  Late summer they started to perk up, but it was the end of the season, and too late.

I have no idea what caused this.  Others didn't know either.  If you figure it out, I'd like to know.

Cavebear

#6
Quote from: PopeyesPappy on May 30, 2018, 07:17:23 PM
The leaves on some of our tomato plants are turning black and curling up. I've never seen anything like it. Anybody got any ideas?



Tomato leaf symptoms are sometimes damnably hard to diagnose, but my best guess is Alternia Canker, following by Bacterial Speck.

On the first:  Symptoms:
Symptoms of Alternaria canker appear on stems, leaves and fruit. Large areas of the leaf lamina between veins is killed, leading to leaf curling and eventual death of the entire leaf.

Control:
Fungus overwinters in crop residue and is easily spread by wind. Wounding of young plants (by mechanical damage or pruning) provides an entry site for infection. Furrow or drip irrigation is preferred over sprinkler irrigation. Preventative fungicide sprays may be required if a “zero tolerance” for defects production system is needed.


On the second:

Symptoms:
Bacterial speck is widely distributed. Symptoms may appear on any plant part. Leaves of infected plants are covered by small, dark brown, irregular patches of necrotic tissue that are surrounded by yellow halos. Disease severity is increased by leaf wetness from sprinkler irrigation, rain, or heavy dews.

Control:
Minimize wetting of the leaves by using drip or furrow irrigation. Copper sprays provide effective control.


For both conditions, and as a general practice, using a soaker nozzle at the base of each plant is best.  Planting tomatoes where morning sun dries the leaves off quickly helps.  Hybrids are more resistant to such diseases but they don't taste as good.  I actually covered my heirloom tomatoes with a plastic roof one year so the only water they experienced was what I gave at the base but that was a LOT of work. 

What kind of tomatoes are you growing?
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on May 31, 2018, 10:34:39 PM
Yep, tomatoes start out doing fine, and around the end of May they start to curl.  I've had it happen twice.  The first year I replanted them in commercial potting soil (I grew them in big flower pots), and then they were fine once they caught up.

The second year, same thing, but I just let them go to see what would happen.  They survived, but were very slow to produce, and the yield was not good.  Late summer they started to perk up, but it was the end of the season, and too late.

I have no idea what caused this.  Others didn't know either.  If you figure it out, I'd like to know.

Planting tomatoes in the same soil lets the fungal and bacterial diseases build up in the soil.  And microbial-rich compost will help, but fresh soil is better.  When they say hybrids are "resistant" that doesn't mean "immune".  It just means they will die later. 

I plant my tomatoes in new spots every year.  I have 6 framed beds and a spot near the house, so that gives me a 7 year rotation.  The diseases are usually gone after 4-5 years.  And foliar sprays in mid-day (where they soak in and dry fast) are helpful. 

I've been growing heirloom tomatoes for 30 years, so if there is anything else I can help with them, let me know.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Baruch

Impressive botany.  BTW ... predictably, I have a brown thumb.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

PopeyesPappy

We are hoping it is a phosphorus deficiency. We have had a lot of rain and cooler than normal temperatures lately.

If not we will remove the plants. Planting somewhere else isn't an option so if it's a fungus, bacterial infection or viral we'll probably have to bleach the dirt and try again next year.
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Munch

#10
Sent the link to my mum who s grown tomatoes before, she's wondering if it's not caterpillars. Think she saw one in the photo you posted
'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners' - George Carlin

Cavebear

Quote from: PopeyesPappy on June 01, 2018, 07:05:48 AM
We are hoping it is a phosphorus deficiency. We have had a lot of rain and cooler than normal temperatures lately.

If not we will remove the plants. Planting somewhere else isn't an option so if it's a fungus, bacterial infection or viral we'll probably have to bleach the dirt and try again next year.

Don't bleach the soil.  Solarizing is better.  But adding a few inches of good compost is easier.  And if you have a healthy plant, take a sucker and plant it in a vase until it shows roots,  then plant it out.  It will grow quickly zones 7 and higher.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!