need help identifying this

Dane S · June 24, 2015

Out of 6 50' rows of tomatoes 1 whole row is looking like this.
I'm fairly certain its not a disease virus or pest causing it. Which leaves environment. All rows of soil were prepared the same. All the plants in other rows r growing healthy and vigorous. I also have plants from the same seeds growing in another garden that are excellent. I can't figure this out. Someone suggested that it was caused by wind and that they would snap out of it. But y just that middle row and not the outside rows?

Carriehelene · June 26, 2015

Posting a pic would help tremendously

Dane S · June 26, 2015

Lol yeah I know sorry. Pics weren't working b4.
Here they r.

Cheryl2017 · June 26, 2015

herbicide drift?

Starlight · June 26, 2015

Dane... What type of irrigation are you using if any, or are you hand watering?

Dane S · June 26, 2015

No irrigation. Just hand watered wen I first planted.
There is a corn field not even 100' away. And they did spray for broadleaf. But there are veggies and trees in between. And they all fine. So not sure its herbacide from the field. But the leaves do like herbicide damage huh.
Here is a better view and u can c some of the rest of the field.

ginger2778 · June 26, 2015

First thing I was going to say was herbicide damage too.

greyghost · June 26, 2015

It sure looks like herbicide damage to me, too. It looks like the affected row has
normal plants on both sides? If your damage isn't from drift from the
recent spray, is it possible the hay/straw used on that row is not from the
same batch as the rest of the mulch? One suggestion to check the mulch for
herbicide residue, soak some mulch from around the affected plants for a day
or two, then water a bean, pea or extra tomato plant and see if you get leaf
curl. I guess I'd first suspect the recent spraying to be the cause but also
wouldn't rule out the bale you used on that row to be contaminated if it's
at all possible to be from a different source than the others.

greyghost · June 26, 2015

It sure looks like herbicide damage to me, too. It looks like the affected row has
normal plants on both sides? If your damage isn't from drift from the
recent spray, is it possible the hay/straw used on that row is not from the
same batch as the rest of the mulch? One suggestion to check the mulch for
herbicide residue, soak some mulch from around the affected plants for a day
or two, then water a bean, pea or extra tomato plant and see if you get leaf
curl. I guess I'd first suspect the recent spraying to be the cause but also
wouldn't rule out the bale you used on that row to be contaminated if it's
at all possible to be from a different source than the others.

Kikaida · June 26, 2015

Still learning but from my paranoid research of all the bad things...This reminds of pictures of broad-leaf herbicide damage as well.

Starlight · June 26, 2015

First thing I would be doing is pulling some of the mulch back and a bit away from the plant dig down and check the soil. It could be down underneath the soil is too dry or two wet.

I thought herbicide damage too, but thought it strange that it was a middle row and none of the other plants were affected, so I might go with Greyghosts idea of bad mulch if the water situation is fine.

Somebody else here at TV was having similar problems and I think they finally came to the conclusion that the batch of mulch used on their one section was bad.

Dane S · June 27, 2015

thanks for the help guys. Well greyghost that's an excellent idea to use to test for herbicide. I will be checking. Starlight I have been monitoring the soil moisture and its been alright.
All bales came from the same place. But Ive been buying old bales that have been laying around for cheap. So It could b a bale that's contaminated.
I soak my straw before I lay it out. That row was the fifth or sixth bale. By then the soak water was thick with leachate from the bales. I was thinking this may have contributed in some way?

greyghost · June 28, 2015

Dane, you could also use the soil under the mulch of the affected plants to grow a
couple of bean seeds; at least you'd understand where the problem came from.
If you find out for sure that it's the mulch, at least you wouldn't worry so much
about the field being sprayed although herbicide drift can travel great distances.
The reason I think it's from your mulch is that it's affected plants in a row which
probably received straw from the same bale as opposed to a random spray attack. Also, in a couple of photos, your plants look tightly curled--I would
think, if over drift, it'd have to be much closer than that field, or that it was
a direct application such as watering/rain leaching it out of the mulch. There
have been similar photos as yours from people who used grass clippings as
mulch several weeks, if not more, after lawn was treated. I wonder if the bale
soaked in the water after the affected bale, picked up any herbicide (assuming
that this was the cause of your damage)? Let us know if you check the soil
or mulch for any contamination.

Dane S · July 10, 2015

Confirmed mulch contamination. I collected a small bucket full of straw and mulched a cpl bean plants as suggested. The 2 control bean plants grew fine where as the 2 mulched bean plants stunted. They were still alive and flowering but only about 12" tall. The others were 3'+ and climbing.
Since they didn't have twisted leaves and didn't die I'm assuming the majority of the contamination has leeched out.
As far as the tomatoes, they seem to slowly be making a recovery. I am hand watering and dosing
that row with liquid guano. They r putting out ripe fruit.
Are there any possible safety concerns with ingesting fruit from these plants?

June 24, 2015	#1
Dane S Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: 4b-5a Posts: 16	need help identifying this Out of 6 50' rows of tomatoes 1 whole row is looking like this. I'm fairly certain its not a disease virus or pest causing it. Which leaves environment. All rows of soil were prepared the same. All the plants in other rows r growing healthy and vigorous. I also have plants from the same seeds growing in another garden that are excellent. I can't figure this out. Someone suggested that it was caused by wind and that they would snap out of it. But y just that middle row and not the outside rows?

June 26, 2015	#4
Cheryl2017 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: san antonio, texas Posts: 173	herbicide drift? Last edited by Cheryl2017; June 26, 2015 at 04:34 PM.

June 26, 2015	#10
Kikaida Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Valencia, CA Posts: 258	Still learning but from my paranoid research of all the bad things...This reminds of pictures of broad-leaf herbicide damage as well. __________________ Fun FIRST, safety second...

June 26, 2015	#2
Carriehelene Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 300	Posting a pic would help tremendously

June 26, 2015	#5
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	Dane... What type of irrigation are you using if any, or are you hand watering?

June 26, 2015	#7
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	First thing I was going to say was herbicide damage too.

June 26, 2015	#8
greyghost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: southeastern PA Posts: 760	It sure looks like herbicide damage to me, too. It looks like the affected row has normal plants on both sides? If your damage isn't from drift from the recent spray, is it possible the hay/straw used on that row is not from the same batch as the rest of the mulch? One suggestion to check the mulch for herbicide residue, soak some mulch from around the affected plants for a day or two, then water a bean, pea or extra tomato plant and see if you get leaf curl. I guess I'd first suspect the recent spraying to be the cause but also wouldn't rule out the bale you used on that row to be contaminated if it's at all possible to be from a different source than the others.

June 27, 2015	#12
Dane S Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: 4b-5a Posts: 16	thanks for the help guys. Well greyghost that's an excellent idea to use to test for herbicide. I will be checking. Starlight I have been monitoring the soil moisture and its been alright. All bales came from the same place. But Ive been buying old bales that have been laying around for cheap. So It could b a bale that's contaminated. I soak my straw before I lay it out. That row was the fifth or sixth bale. By then the soak water was thick with leachate from the bales. I was thinking this may have contributed in some way?

June 28, 2015	#13
greyghost Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: southeastern PA Posts: 760	Dane, you could also use the soil under the mulch of the affected plants to grow a couple of bean seeds; at least you'd understand where the problem came from. If you find out for sure that it's the mulch, at least you wouldn't worry so much about the field being sprayed although herbicide drift can travel great distances. The reason I think it's from your mulch is that it's affected plants in a row which probably received straw from the same bale as opposed to a random spray attack. Also, in a couple of photos, your plants look tightly curled--I would think, if over drift, it'd have to be much closer than that field, or that it was a direct application such as watering/rain leaching it out of the mulch. There have been similar photos as yours from people who used grass clippings as mulch several weeks, if not more, after lawn was treated. I wonder if the bale soaked in the water after the affected bale, picked up any herbicide (assuming that this was the cause of your damage)? Let us know if you check the soil or mulch for any contamination.

July 10, 2015	#14
Dane S Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: 4b-5a Posts: 16	Confirmed mulch contamination. I collected a small bucket full of straw and mulched a cpl bean plants as suggested. The 2 control bean plants grew fine where as the 2 mulched bean plants stunted. They were still alive and flowering but only about 12" tall. The others were 3'+ and climbing. Since they didn't have twisted leaves and didn't die I'm assuming the majority of the contamination has leeched out. As far as the tomatoes, they seem to slowly be making a recovery. I am hand watering and dosing that row with liquid guano. They r putting out ripe fruit. Are there any possible safety concerns with ingesting fruit from these plants?