Possible Herbicide damage to tomatoes - Ask Extension
I live on the 6th floor of an apartment building and my balcony faces a condominium. I am high risk so I have been isolated and thought growing a few ...
Knowledgebase
Possible Herbicide damage to tomatoes #663439
Asked July 13, 2020, 10:24 AM EDT
I live on the 6th floor of an apartment building and my balcony faces a condominium. I am high risk so I have been isolated and thought growing a few veggies would help. I've actually won blue ribbons at the state fair for my tomatoes when I owned my home but never on a balcony. This spring I planted a dark cherry tomato plant I got from Whole Foods. It was very healthy! After a month or so, the leaves started to twist and turn downward. New leaves are small and the plant in general no longer seems to be growing. I've attached pictures of it. I brought it inside and even repotted it to a larger pot. I am also concerned about some french beans I planted. The leaves appear bleached and the veins are prominent. Finally, I have several herbs that are doing well but I don't want to be eating herbicide infected herbs!! These include parsley, oregano , thyme and basil. Will these take in the herbicide?? Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated!! I've already read everything on the site but I can't tell if this is curly top virus of herbicide damage for the tomato - which at this point might help address the rest of my questions. THANKS!!
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
Thank you for writing.
That is fascinating.
My guess is that it is either due to iron deficiency or alkalotic (opposite of acid) water.
https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/gardening-basics/yellow-leaves-and-green-veins-iron-deficiency/
I suggest a pH meter for your tap.
Remediation of these plants is probably not worth it. Switch to using distilled water (keep it tightly capped between applications). If exposed to air, distilled water takes on carbon dioxide from the air and goes a bit acid which is ok because the ideal pH for tomatoes is acid 6-6.8
That is fascinating.
My guess is that it is either due to iron deficiency or alkalotic (opposite of acid) water.
https://www.birdsandblooms.com/gardening/gardening-basics/yellow-leaves-and-green-veins-iron-deficiency/
I suggest a pH meter for your tap.
Remediation of these plants is probably not worth it. Switch to using distilled water (keep it tightly capped between applications). If exposed to air, distilled water takes on carbon dioxide from the air and goes a bit acid which is ok because the ideal pH for tomatoes is acid 6-6.8
That might be the case for the green bean but what about the tomato plant - my bigger concern. And since the bean is, I think, also a broad leaf, it might also be experiencing herbicide damage.
Thank you for writing back.
I doubt this is herbicide damage. Whole Foods has a commitment to organic suppliers but it is possible that pesticides (not herbicides were secretly used). Even so, the injury does not look typical for either.
I doubt this is herbicide damage. Whole Foods has a commitment to organic suppliers but it is possible that pesticides (not herbicides were secretly used). Even so, the injury does not look typical for either.
The plant was healthy when I bought it - so I'm sure it had nothing to do with WF. This happened a good month after I put it on the balcony. When I read the info regarding herbicide damage on the extension website, it described the twisted, turned down leaves as well as the small-sized new growth and general failure to grow. At first I thought it was curly top virus but with the leaves twisted and turned down, it does seem to fit the description for herbicide drift.
The leaves are chlorotic and that is a symptom of a deficiency. I suggest making a weak solution of fertilizer and using it to water your plants. 1/2 to 1/4 th strength miracle grow Or another veggie fertilizer for vegetables should help.
Okay - but what about the tomato? That is a much bigger concern and as you can see from the pictures, the leaves are not chlorotic for the tomato. They are twisted, turned downward and new leaves are dwarfed. This matches the description on the extension website for herbicide damage. I am just seeking confirmation or another explanation. The reason you see lighter leaves on the tomato is because the light is shining on it - I wanted to get a good picture. If you look carefully you can see a leaf that is not turned downward or twisted and it is perfectly green. Most of the ones you are seeing are the undersides of the leaves with the light on them.
As I mentioned before - I've received blue ribbons at the fair for tomatoes I have grown in the past. There is something VERY wrong with this one - something I have never seen before. Most of the leaves are turned down and twisted and the new ones are dwarf! This is not chlorosis and the plant was appropriately fertilized.
As I mentioned before - I've received blue ribbons at the fair for tomatoes I have grown in the past. There is something VERY wrong with this one - something I have never seen before. Most of the leaves are turned down and twisted and the new ones are dwarf! This is not chlorosis and the plant was appropriately fertilized.
I consider the tomato leaves chlorotic. The veins should not stand out the way they are.
Where do you think the herbicide is coming from? The 6 th floor should be well above any drift from fields or lawns even if your plants spend time on the balcony. Is your soil sour? New food? Sometimes there isn’t an answer and you are asking for a diagnosis from a photograph. Next steps would be sending a sample to the plant disease clinic.
https://pdc.umn.edu/
https://pdc.umn.edu/
