Need some help with tomato’s

[77starrman]

I was wondering if someone who knows could help me with our tomato plants. While the older leaves are fine and healthy the new leaves are curling up and don’t look very good at all (see photos). One of the plants seems to have even lost the main stem, it just doesn’t seem to be there. Both plants are still producing suckers at the leaf nodes on the stem.
It has been very dry and windy here last week and I’m wondering if that maybe had something to do with it. Hoefully someone can help.

Thanks.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Its a hard one. Do you spray your grass for weeds or use weedkiller spray in the garden area? If its not that it could be over fertilizing or viral or a number of other things so isolating environmental details becomes part of the search.

 

[77starrman]

No spraying of any kind since they were planted. They have only been fertilised with a granulated fertiliser and once so far with a seaweed solution. They have been planted into a fresh bed with new bags of cow manure. However everything else is thriving. Cucumber capsicum/peppers oregano dill mint thyme etc all doing very well. It’s just these two tomato plants.

 

[DirtMechanic]

No spraying of any kind since they were planted. They have only been fertilised with a granulated fertiliser and once so far with a seaweed solution. They have been planted into a fresh bed with new bags of cow manure. However everything else is thriving. Cucumber capsicum/peppers oregano dill mint thyme etc all doing very well. It’s just these two tomato plants.

I had the same issue with what may have been composted cow manure. I tilled in a lot and in one row only 2 or 3 plants were touched so it may have been something in one bag. There were 16 plants. It took a while to resolve. They will grow through it, and it did not seem to hurt my celebrities or the production. Whether its a weed spray or a medicinal thing given one cow, in either case it is a phytohormone effect. Incidentally, hormones are what makes the seaweed special in addition to the minerals. I would hold off on that until later when flowering occurs. The plant has to rebalance its hormone matrix, and there are many, where the abundance of one or a few or the ebb of one or a few will make the plant react.

 

[Chuck]

I think it is from the weather. Hot, dry and windy. Once the weather goes back to normalcy so will the plants.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I think it is from the weather. Hot, dry and windy. Once the weather goes back to normalcy so will the plants.

If so, should I should see it again or repeatedly? I mean it appeared prior to flower during the initial maturing phase and I have not seen it prior nor since? Our early season is fairly wet, so it sounds like it might be something that shows up during one of those random years when I have to start watering early in the season due to lack of rain?

 

[Chuck]

If so, should I should see it again or repeatedly? I mean it appeared prior to flower during the initial maturing phase and I have not seen it prior nor since? Our early season is fairly wet, so it sounds like it might be something that shows up during one of those random years when I have to start watering early in the season due to lack of rain?

It's very possible, but, as weather is what usually causes deformities on new growth, older plants seem to adapt to this. It doesn't really matter because tomatoes, except cherrys, are dependent upon low nighttime temperatures for setting fruit. As the plants get older what you will probably see if you have a lot of wind with dry weather low humidity is wilting of the older leaves. Sometimes wilting even occurs during AM hours after the plants have been watered. I don't know of any remedy. As I said, it doesn't much matter in mid to late season for most gardeners but, if wind with heat continue during early season I have seen complete bloom loss. If fruit has set it will continue to grow. It's mainly a matter of timing if one has extended wind and heat conditions.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Thanks for the tip on the wilted older leaves as one of the defining conditions. In my case the injury looked very much chemical, but not with the association of consistent larger leaves. Of course it was some years ago, and memory fades, but I was very focused on a narrow area. I asked myself how a plant could get that tall and suddenly have a new grow issue. The only thing I could think of was a new root had finally found a small patch or layer of chemistry and transport took it straight to the new growth area where it interfered. That or I was spraying my fig tree with something. I will be on the lookout now. Thanks!

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for the tip on the wilted older leaves as one of the defining conditions. In my case the injury looked very much chemical, but not with the association of consistent larger leaves. Of course it was some years ago, and memory fades, but I was very focused on a narrow area. I asked myself how a plant could get that tall and suddenly have a new grow issue. The only thing I could think of was a new root had finally found a small patch or layer of chemistry and transport took it straight to the new growth area where it interfered. That or I was spraying my fig tree with something. I will be on the lookout now. Thanks!

In the matter of herbicides, one just doesn't know for sure. Herbicides can come from a long distance. One normally thinks of overspray or wind as being the means of it affecting a plant but, some herbicides have an active life of years and can move with water underground. Another matter of concern about herbicides is its inadvertent inclusion into commercial composts and fertilizers. Picloram is the chemical herbicide I am familiar with but there are probably many more I haven't heard of. Manure from a horse or cow that has eaten grass or hay that has been treated with picloram passes this herbicide on in its manure. Feedlots with newly arrived cattle have no idea what the animal has eaten prior to its arrival and along comes a buyer of the accumulated manure and uses it in the production of his compost or fertilizer. It may just be a tiny amount in your bag of fertilizer but it is enough to affect growth or to show deformities. I know this is rare but sometimes there is no other explanation for the irregular growth of plants.