Ideas about what's going on with my tomatoes???

[goldfinches]

I planted 3 heirloom tomatoes behind a metal shed in our yard. We rent, so we're limited to where we can plant. I think it's a good place, but something strange is happening...

The plants are curling over at the top. They seem to have stopped growing, also. Maybe I'm just expecting too much from them, but I'm a pretty experienced tomato grower and haven't seen this before.

I planted them in a mix of organic potting soil and worm compost. They get full sun. I haven't watered them too much, but it's been very rainy. They don't seem dry, just growing ...down...???

[Buzzer Beater]

How long have they been out? Mine did that this year too, and it drove me crazy trying to figure out what was wrong. Still not sure, but they seem to be perking up.

[goldfinches]

Well, they've been out for quite a while. I was so eager to grow again that I stuck them out probably back in April. I am in zone 5b, where you really aren't supposed to put them out until Memorial Day, but I babied them. I covered them every night, and they seemed to do great. They were growing hugely. My in-laws planted some a couple of weeks after mine, and put fertilizer on them, and theirs are huge - maybe I'm just jealous...

[Quirky]

Could it be curly top disease?

http://entoplp.okstate.edu/ddd/diseases/curlytop.htm

[goldfinches]

I just checked on them, and one has started to straighten out. But, they do have purple veins, like curly top disease. I hope that's not what they have!

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

I just checked on them, and one has started to straighten out. But, they do have purple veins, like curly top disease. I hope that's not what they have!

I'd put my money on curly top virus. That was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this post. I bought six tomato plants from Costco that looked exactly as you described. I pulled 'em right away becuase I was afraid the rest of my plants would get diseased too.

Afaik, purple veins are a dead giveaway. Healthy plants will not have purple veins. I'd pull them and start over before it's too late.

[goldfinches]

ah, stink! It's a consensus. I'll pull them and start over. It breaks my heart - I babied those so long!

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

ah, stink! It's a consensus. I'll pull them and start over. It breaks my heart - I babied those so long!

I totally know how that feels. I have to admit almost crying over my plants that turned out to be diseased. Esp since I practically broke my pregnant back planting and staking them.

[Lazy Gardens]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

ah, stink! It's a consensus. I'll pull them and start over. It breaks my heart - I babied those so long!

STOP!!!!! Leaves will curl for several reasons, including HEAT and too little water.

My tomatoes curl their leaves every afternoon ... and recover by morning. If they haven't recovered my morning it's usually because it's danged hot around here and I increase the watering time.

If, as you said, you aren't watering thoroughly, it's probably lack of water.

[Toolip]

Did you get them at Costco by ant chance?

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by Lazy Gardens

STOP!!!!! Leaves will curl for several reasons, including HEAT and too little water.

My tomatoes curl their leaves every afternoon ... and recover by morning. If they haven't recovered my morning it's usually because it's danged hot around here and I increase the watering time.

If, as you said, you aren't watering thoroughly, it's probably lack of water.

That's true, but they won't get purple veins, and the entire top of the plant won't curl over. The bummer about it is, if she doesn't pull them and waits to see what happens, they could continue to decline and never produce much fruit, and by the time she finds out she's out of luck for the season. I'm not 100% sure so the OP should definitely research or ask around, but purple veins = disease. If the ONLY issue was curling leaves, yeah, there's lots of causes for that. But she also has the purple veins and, I'm willing to bet, a yellowing plant.

[goldfinches]

I didn't get them at Cosco. I can't remember where I got them, but we don't have one of them here in the boonies, lol!

I haven't had a chance to check them today, but I really examined them yesterday. They definately have purple veins, some leaves have none, some have half-purple, some all purple. And, one has a nice sized green tomato, about golf-ball size. Should I still pull it up? (sense my hesitation here )

I did get another plant to plant in a pulled-up plant hole, I'll probably pull out the worst one tomorrow...

btw, They have gotten a lot of water over the past day or so. I'll check them in the morning and see if it's made any change.

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by goldfinches

I didn't get them at Cosco. I can't remember where I got them, but we don't have one of them here in the boonies, lol!

I haven't had a chance to check them today, but I really examined them yesterday. They definately have purple veins, some leaves have none, some have half-purple, some all purple. And, one has a nice sized green tomato, about golf-ball size. Should I still pull it up? (sense my hesitation here )

I did get another plant to plant in a pulled-up plant hole, I'll probably pull out the worst one tomorrow...

btw, They have gotten a lot of water over the past day or so. I'll check them in the morning and see if it's made any change.

The nice thing about curly top virus is that it won't generally kill the plant for awhile, it just reduces it's lifespan and production. So if you really want to leave that tomato on there and at least get a few tomatos from the plant, you can. My concern was infecting two other tomato plants I had that did not have a virus (did not get them at the same place or at the same time). I also had like, just put those tomato plants in, so it wasn't as big of an investment in my time.

Not every plant I pulled had the purple veins, and not every leaf had all purple veins, but the majority had some or most of their veins being purple. I just pulled them all since I got them all at the same place and they all had abnormal leaves and a slightly yellowed appearance.

[littleseal]

I see it's been a couple weeks, but I hope you didn't pull them out before definatively confirming curly top! That is certainly one of the reasons for the symptoms you describe, but the fact you planted early might indicate a nutrient- possibly phosphorus deficiency, especially if it's been cool. Plants can have trouble puling up P in cooler weather. not enough P in tomato plants will cause purple leaves and sometimes curling.
It should resolve with warmer weather- though you might want to think about about amending if the soil is poor. Compost or there are organic blended fertilizers available commercially. bone meal is a good source (though maybe not if you are vegan) and rock phosphate releases slowly so might not give you the boost you need in time.
Hopefully, it's warmed up where you are and your tomatoes have recovered!
If it is/was curly top; I'm sorry

[Talula Fairie]

Originally Posted by littleseal

I see it's been a couple weeks, but I hope you didn't pull them out before definatively confirming curly top! That is certainly one of the reasons for the symptoms you describe, but the fact you planted early might indicate a nutrient- possibly phosphorus deficiency, especially if it's been cool. Plants can have trouble puling up P in cooler weather. not enough P in tomato plants will cause purple leaves and sometimes curling.
It should resolve with warmer weather- though you might want to think about about amending if the soil is poor. Compost or there are organic blended fertilizers available commercially. bone meal is a good source (though maybe not if you are vegan) and rock phosphate releases slowly so might not give you the boost you need in time.
Hopefully, it's warmed up where you are and your tomatoes have recovered!
If it is/was curly top; I'm sorry

would a phosphorous deficiency cause purple veins?

[milagras]

I thought of Phosphorus too. I think the leaves themselves turn kinda purple and not just the veins?

Do you have other types of plants? (ex beans, beets, carrots, cukes, melons) They might be affected as well if it's curly top because the disease can be spread by leafhoppers.

[goldfinches]

Sorry I've been gone, but I'm back! I didn't pull the plants, but I did plant another just in case they didn't produce. I was just away for about a week and a half and came home yesterday. The plants are still there, doing okay. Each has about 4 good sized tomatoes, the largest nearly as big as a baseball! But, they're all growing low on the plant, something I've never experienced before. The one that had the very purple veins is now bigger than the other 2 and shows no signs of purple veins!
I will get bone meal for them - they're still pretty scraggly looking. I planted them in what I thought was such a good mix, but guess it was too early. I'll not try that next year, see if they do better.
thanks for all the ideas - I'll update when something else happens

[littleseal]

would a phosphorous deficiency cause purple veins?

Yes, sometimes purple is most noticeable along veins. Leaves can be purple too.

Purple veins is usually a sign of stress- can be caused by a few things- environmental (e.g. too cold temps) nutrient deficency (i.e. P), insects (e.g. sap suckers like psyllids, thrips, aphids) and disease (e.g.. CTV, TSWV, CMV) usually the former (insect) causes the latter (disease) but purple veined leaves in and of themselves are not always disease; sometimes it is something that can be resolved. Usually you'll see other signs - yellowing, spots, etc and that will help give the ID, but if you don't know for sure it is worth consulting an expert (especially before destroying plants); try your county extension or a local university for a master gardner or other expert if you re concerned.

I recently had one of my tomatoes (only one in container) develop purple veined curled leaves. Initially thought CTV (becasue that's the first thing that pops up if you google tomatoes with purple veins )but we recently had very hot weather followed by more than a week of very cool, overcast weather. Could be environmental. Then, because it's in a container, though it could be nutrient. I went over the leaves and discovered some aphids :? Just couldn't figure it out so finially took in some samples and the consensus was sap sucking pests! Said locally they've been seeing a lot of thrips :? I did a better inspection and think I saw psylliids. Not much yellowing of leaves and they are hard to see if you aren't looking for them but yup sure enough, there :. Glad to find out so now I can take precautions with the other plants- can't control for leafhopper (which transmits CTV) but you can control for sap suckers like aphids, psyllids, thrips, etc which do transmit other diseases. The gardner actually recommended pyrethrin (and usually pro organic/no synthetics) I wasn't comfortable with that so I'm trying soap and hoping that works. I do suspect that plant has a disease now (sap insects are vectors for disease) and not sure if it's recoverable because it does look pathetic , but it is fruiting now and the fruit looks OK so I'm going to wait and see how they turn out before destroying hte plant; at least it's in container so I can isolate.

Anyway, OP- glad your plants seem to be better- it could be someting as simple as putting them in too early so they were stressed. If you re concerned, though it's worth a consult with someone IRL that can look/feel/see and give you advice to your specific sitution. The internet is great, but still can't replace a local expert Good luck!!