Tomato issue ....

IanB

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Hi,

Well, having planted a lot of tomatoes, I am discovering some plants where the leaf is curling. I have googled, but it is difficult to tell which "ailment" they are suffering.
I have posted a couple of pics, one showing the curl, the other the damage to the leaf you can see once uncurled.

Appreciate any advice.

20181031_101936.jpg 20181031_102011.jpg
 

ClissAT

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Here is a link to a site you may or not have found but being Dept Primary Industries Qld, it is more pertanent to Australia than perhaps USA sites.

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business...s-and-disorders/tomato-yellow-leaf-curl-virus


To my eye your issue just looks like water stress due to fast growing plants on hot days after cooler or overcast days.

Indicators of viral problems are white fly infestation, dropped leaves, leaves that fail to uncurl once shaded by trees or evening comes.

If mineral deficiency, the leaves will have a yellow or green center vein with opposite colour on remainder of leaf, be hard to the touch, slight purple tinge.

Your leaf in the photo looks a good colour, soft and supple.

If you have recently fertilized, apply more water to hydrate the leaves more to help move the minerals through the leaf better.

Or if you regularly use foliar feeding, maybe don't apply the next feed to give the plants time to process what they already have.

There is always the possibility of applying too much fertilizer which can cause intermittent symptoms but in healthy plants like yours, issues clear up in a few days or after the next watering.

In well draining soil, overwatering is rarely a problem so don't be afraid to give them a good drink (unless the water costs you an absolute Fortune!)
 

IanB

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Thanks for all your advice....this thread and others.

My latest issue is caterpillars. I have started using exclusion bags, but thr bags are a nylon mesh and the green tomatoes are getting like a brown burn on the skin where the bag is touching them.

Appreciate any advice
 

ClissAT

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When you say brown burn, is the fruit going brown across about half of it on the inside too, or is there just a small yellowish path on the skin right where the bag pouches the fruit?
A photo tells a 1000 words ;)

What colour is the grub? Dark or green? Eating the outside or living inside the fruit?
Again, a photo reveals all! ;)
 

IanB

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Pretty sure the grub is a tomato grub. Lime green, eats a hole from the outside. I dont have pics im sorry.

Here are some ordinary pics of the brown marks and bags. I have had larger marks but discarded the fruit

The marks on the fruit only happen once in the bags
 

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ClissAT

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I think this is late blight.
In anycase it is fungal based most likely due to the bags being put on the fruit then watering occurring. Even if you are very careful not to splash the bags, there is still a lot of humidity rising up from the soil and moving through the plants at watering time.

The amount of humidity determines whether these blights get a foot hold. I note in the bottom of one photo are those curled leaves again. Perhaps that was a very early sign of the fungus getting started.

None of us have had good weather conditions for tomato growing recently so don't feel singled out regarding this problem. Mine are terrible! The only way to get good tomatoes right now is out of an environment controlled greenhouse or hydroponics or maybe from out west somewhere!
For the home gardener the best way to overcome it is to be sure to have fantastic air circulation around and through each plant, so double spacing and remove most of the leaves. Its one reason why people remove most of the leaves from determinate types of tomatoes (which I think yours are). Some people go to extremes by only having drip irrigation under a dry mulch.

Here is a link to a page from America but still relevant to us as tomato diseases are the same worldwide.

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/prevent-late-blight/7262.html

I know your brown is slightly different and your leaves look nice and healthy but most likely due to your plants being generally healthier so they aren't exhibiting many signs until the bags go on.

One way to know whether your plants have a blight is to sacrifice a main stem by cutting it off slightly diagonally. There will be a small or maybe larger black dot inside the stem. It is actually a thread containing the infection (a fungus, Phytophthora infestans) that runs from roots to all growing tips and flowers.
There are sprays containing beneficial bacterium or copper and/or chemicals that might control it if you are firmly attached to those particular plants since you've put so much effort into them.

Otherwise pull them all out and dispose in the council bin. Dont put them in the compost or use any compost on the vegies that contained leaves from these plants. Don't plant any Solanaceae family of plants for a few years in those beds.

In future always buy seed or plants that are definitely not susceptible to blights. Some types of tomatoes are less susceptible than others. This means no heritage or home saved seed or purchased from a backyard plant supplier. Other than that, buy one of the sprays that will help control it and use it right from the seed set.
 
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Sasha Bushell

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Ive just jumped on after a few years and looking for a solution to a problem im having. I think my best tip for you problem is to plant your tomato plant down deep. I wait until the plant is over 1 foot then take all the leaves off except the top 3-4, then plant into a presoaked deep hole. This will prevent any fungal issues attacking uour plant which is usually when its stressed from not enough/ too much water. This has solved all of my problems..... except 1 bug and some rats .

does anyone know how to fix my problem? I have what i suspect is a wasp attcking my entire garden, a small black spot on the outside followed by a grub on the inside, all of my fruit trees are affected aswell as my tomatoes! I lost a whole crop of apples (2 trees, about 100 apples) i also lost all of my nectarines and plums aswell its sooo frustrating and I am at a loss and cant find any answers on Google.
 

ClissAT

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Are you 100% sure it's not fruit fly, Sasha?
Have you set fruit fly baits both male and female since July until February to be sure?
 

ClissAT

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Google will provide you with a whole host of excellent info and closeup photos.
 
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Sasha Bushell

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Google will provide you with a whole host of excellent info and closeup closeup photos.
Unfortunately i can very little of what I have. Hard to know for sure as the fruit flies in the images look totally different. So maybe i might be back at square one, will see how i go withbthe baits, that will be my first step to a resolution
 

Sasha Bushell

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Alright, i finally got a happy snap of the little bugger... what is it and what can i do about it?
 

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Mark

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