Any tomato experts here?
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Judging from the level of death in some of those plants, I would think it has more to do with chemical imbalances in the actual soil. You said that you rotate your crops, so the same things aren't growing in the same place - year end year out. I think the actual issue is some type of ph balance issue, or soil deficiency. You have some plants growing perfectly fine, some are completely toast. The insects would only be portions of plants, chances are not even the whole plant. The last time I saw whole plants affected like this, it was low potassium levels. Sounds stupid, but...
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What type of ground prep are you doing in the off-season? Fully rototilling in fertilizer? New top soil? Mulch? What types? Certain mulches will change the ph so much that you have to let certain beds sit for an extra season to balance back out... Your spacing is adequate, you covered your watering, so long as you are working with quality seeds, the only variables left are; nutrient levels, light, and insect activity... You don't really have visible signs of insects on the plant pictures you have shown. No visible eating away of leaves or actual visible insects....
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Elder User
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From: S.W. Oregon
Percy - I have had the soil tested, but will look back at the report for the potassium level as several people have mentioned that.
I use a lot of compost in the garden. Also every couple of years a lot of horse or chicken manure. No chemical fertilizers. I do foliar spray with weak organic fertilizer. I don't really suspect the soil as I can have two plants of the same variety side by side and one will be healthy and the other will be sick. Also I plant the tomatoes in a variety of places on our 2 acre lot. Some are several hundred yards from others and there does not seem to be any pattern to the problem. Also, except for a few more minor problems with peppers, everything else I grow is very happy and productive.
I use a lot of compost in the garden. Also every couple of years a lot of horse or chicken manure. No chemical fertilizers. I do foliar spray with weak organic fertilizer. I don't really suspect the soil as I can have two plants of the same variety side by side and one will be healthy and the other will be sick. Also I plant the tomatoes in a variety of places on our 2 acre lot. Some are several hundred yards from others and there does not seem to be any pattern to the problem. Also, except for a few more minor problems with peppers, everything else I grow is very happy and productive.
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Shepard - That sounds REALLY strange to me. I always thought the tomatoes were the easy thing to grow. Colorado, Maine, Texas - never had a problem nothing that looks like what you are showing me. I have seen insects cause problems sporatically like what you are describing, but even then there is evidence of insects eating away certain spots on almost all of the plants. Since you can't see it from the pictures, are there mites present on your plants?
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From: Oregon
To me, it looks like fertilizer burns. I have to be real careful with chicken manure and try to till it in well and not go too heavy. Since you do underground watering, could it be that clumps of manure lay dormant until the plants grow fruit, and then when you increase watering the soil gets leached with too much nitrogen? It looks like they start out great, then produce so much fruit the plant can't keep up.
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Elder User
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From: S.W. Oregon
Originally Posted by Howdy
To me, it looks like fertilizer burns. I have to be real careful with chicken manure and try to till it in well and not go too heavy. Since you do underground watering, could it be that clumps of manure lay dormant until the plants grow fruit, and then when you increase watering the soil gets leached with too much nitrogen? It looks like they start out great, then produce so much fruit the plant can't keep up.
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Elder User
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From: S.W. Oregon
Something did occur to me today... I reuse my tomato cages every year. Also reuse Walls of Water at the beginning of each season. I am wondering if disease could be spread season to season from that. I think this year I will use only new cages etc. on several of the plants and see if they are the ones that are healthy.
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From: S.W. Oregon
Originally Posted by bigredtruckmi
do you do anything with the plants or even walk in them when they are damp or wet. You might be spreading diseases.
Also, following the advice of a nursery, I regularly, heavily, sprayed a few of the plants. Those did not end up any less sick than unsprayed ones.
This is the frustration I have had. Nothing seems to make sense. Although, I do wonder now about the reuse of cages etc. If a cage was on a sick plant last summer and I reuse it next summer, I wonder if the disease could spread that way? Or does sitting outside over winter kill anything on the wire?
Maybe I should really shock the swimming pool with chlorine and sink the cages in the pool for a day to try and kill any disease.
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Elder User
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From: S.W. Oregon
I use both chicken manure and horse. Last time I used horse and that was year before last. So it's been 3 plus years since chicken manure was added. Also why would it only affect the tomatoes?
Also the last word on the fertilizer idea is that as I said in a couple of posts, I plant the tomatoes all over. Some are in areas that have never been fertilized. All areas have some sick plants and some healthy.
I really think it is a disease of some sort, but just can't find out what. Because the spraying did not help last year, I am thinking a blight or virus of some sort?
Because some sick plants are growing in spots that have never had vegetables of any kind grown, I am thinking that I must be spreading it myself somehow year to year. The only thing I can think of to do that is the cages and plastic Walls of Water I reuse every year.
I will try the pool chlorine treatment I mentioned this year and see if that helps. I will also use some NEW walls of water and NEW cages on some plants and see if those plants stay healthy.
Also the last word on the fertilizer idea is that as I said in a couple of posts, I plant the tomatoes all over. Some are in areas that have never been fertilized. All areas have some sick plants and some healthy.
I really think it is a disease of some sort, but just can't find out what. Because the spraying did not help last year, I am thinking a blight or virus of some sort?
Because some sick plants are growing in spots that have never had vegetables of any kind grown, I am thinking that I must be spreading it myself somehow year to year. The only thing I can think of to do that is the cages and plastic Walls of Water I reuse every year.
I will try the pool chlorine treatment I mentioned this year and see if that helps. I will also use some NEW walls of water and NEW cages on some plants and see if those plants stay healthy.
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From: Huntington Indiana
best thing is to soil test and see what is in the soil. then go from there as to what is needed. Do you rotate where the plants are? because disease will build up over just a couple of years. I have seen it in my soybean fields.