Sick Black from Tula

Barbee · June 20, 2009

I've got a sick plant. We've been dealing with the twisted leaves all season. The leaves twist during the wet spells and once it starts to dry out, they straighten out. So I'm not as concerned about that. But these lesions are bugging me. The tomato has several flowers and fruit on it and the plant is growing and the tomatoes are growing. It just looks like crap and obviously has a problem. I guess what I need to know is if I need to yank it up and burn it. No herbicides have been sprayed anywhere near the garden although I keep thinking it looks like it's been burnt with herbicide.
So any ideas what these lesions are?

Barbee · June 20, 2009

So I found this photo online. Do you think this looks similar?

Hail damage on tomato

dice · June 20, 2009

It does look similar. I still would have guessed virus or
herbicide drift, though. The leaves on the Black from Tula
look more extreme to me.

Strange that it is still growing, though. I do not know what to
make of that. Virii usually stunt the plants and affect the
fruit some way. Maybe the dirt right there has really terrible
drainage, and what you are seeing is an extreme reaction to
extended overwatering?

aninocentangel · June 20, 2009

The thing is, the hail damage wouldn't be ongoing. Any new growth after hail damage would be normal.

Barbee · June 20, 2009

This afternoon, I decided to dig up a few of the twisty foliage'd plants and replant them in my old tomato patch. Not the worst ones, but not the best ones either. Anything that had fruit was left where it was. I figure if the twisting clears up and the new growth appears more normal, then it must be something in the ground where the new patch is.
Tonight, I'm going to have my hubby go thru his spray records and see what was used in that area over the last couple of years. I know there is no herbicide drift but there could be some herbicide residual thing going on. Who knows, maybe we'll find something. I still think it looks like some sort of herbicide damage although we have had several bouts of hail along with a million inches of rain this year. At this point, I'm thinking something herbicide-y for the twisty leaves and those lesions on the stem from hail damage.
Just seems strange that if it was something in the soil herbicide related, only certain plants are affected. Here is a shot of Earl's Mystery #14 planted less than 12 feet away

June 20, 2009	#2
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	So I found this photo online. Do you think this looks similar? Hail damage on tomato __________________ *Barbee* Last edited by Barbee; June 20, 2009 at 01:14 PM. Reason: adding the hail part

June 20, 2009	#3
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	It does look similar. I still would have guessed virus or herbicide drift, though. The leaves on the Black from Tula look more extreme to me. Strange that it is still growing, though. I do not know what to make of that. Virii usually stunt the plants and affect the fruit some way. Maybe the dirt right there has really terrible drainage, and what you are seeing is an extreme reaction to extended overwatering? __________________ -- alias Last edited by dice; June 20, 2009 at 11:09 PM. Reason: nit

June 20, 2009	#5
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	This afternoon, I decided to dig up a few of the twisty foliage'd plants and replant them in my old tomato patch. Not the worst ones, but not the best ones either. Anything that had fruit was left where it was. I figure if the twisting clears up and the new growth appears more normal, then it must be something in the ground where the new patch is. Tonight, I'm going to have my hubby go thru his spray records and see what was used in that area over the last couple of years. I know there is no herbicide drift but there could be some herbicide residual thing going on. Who knows, maybe we'll find something. I still think it looks like some sort of herbicide damage although we have had several bouts of hail along with a million inches of rain this year. At this point, I'm thinking something herbicide-y for the twisty leaves and those lesions on the stem from hail damage. Just seems strange that if it was something in the soil herbicide related, only certain plants are affected. Here is a shot of Earl's Mystery #14 planted less than 12 feet away __________________ *Barbee*

June 20, 2009	#1
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Sick Black from Tula I've got a sick plant. We've been dealing with the twisted leaves all season. The leaves twist during the wet spells and once it starts to dry out, they straighten out. So I'm not as concerned about that. But these lesions are bugging me. The tomato has several flowers and fruit on it and the plant is growing and the tomatoes are growing. It just looks like crap and obviously has a problem. I guess what I need to know is if I need to yank it up and burn it. No herbicides have been sprayed anywhere near the garden although I keep thinking it looks like it's been burnt with herbicide. So any ideas what these lesions are? __________________ *Barbee*

June 20, 2009	#4
aninocentangel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 8a Coastal SC Posts: 251	The thing is, the hail damage wouldn't be ongoing. Any new growth after hail damage would be normal.