I took leaves to my local garden center and they said it was insects so I have been using insecticidal soap solutions.

==>> and then i suppose they sold you the soap???

find a better garden center... i note you dont call it a nursery .. did they show you the bug.. or suggest what bug it was....

i dont get the redwood in the pic.. are they in the ground.. potted.. greenhouse.. patio .... any further info on the 'culture' of the plants will help ...

ken

Hi Ken,

Thank you for your reply.

No they didn't sell me soap. I make my own as well as my own fungicide. It's actually a lovely nursery and they are very knowledgeable but I do not agree with their diagnosis, they said it was spider mites. I think it's a virus however with all of searching over the last week I cannot find a conclusive diagnosis. The red wood is actually a stained cedar board and these particular plants are in hanging baskets above my raised bed. This was a new additional I added this year in order to gain more sun for the green beans and cherry tomatoes (which these are, cherry punch) I believe. I do not have my garden notes in front of me as right now. However, the Romas below in the bed are showing signs of the same problem and well as the zucchini directly below the baskets. If it was a soil born issue I could understand the plants directly below the hanging basket being infected (run off water, etc) but the tomato that are 9 feets away and on the other side of the bed are also showing signs. I have posted more images of the plants further away from the baskets (see black edges on newest leaves) Also infected are the basil plants and peppers. I just want to see if anyone can give me their opinion to what they think the cause is. If it is Wilt I need to destroy the plants asap in order to save the rest of the garden. Thank you for your help. Olivia

You can dispose of the virus theory along with mites.
It's either disease or cultural.

Thank you, can you diagnosis? I would love to treat these plants in order to loss my entire crop this season.

When you say cultural you are referring to the soil?

Please show us more pictures. Overall and of the other plants.

For one thing, the tomato in a hanging container could well be running short on fertilizer and water.

And the black on leaf edges as is shown in the next image is often mechanical damage.

What soil mix are you using?
Since you're a do-it-yourself kind of person, I wonder how you may have you "fixed" the soil? (Please tell us.)
Fertilizer used? If so, what and how often (for pots and for ground)?
Watering regimen: how do you decide to water again, then for how long? (that is, how do you determine it's enough?)

Thank for re-posting.

Mechanical damage, I'm not sure what you mean but that. All of the 8 tomatoes in the bed are showing the black edging on the early leaves.

I water every other day or every three day depending on the weather. Usually about a mins per plant and I water at the bass of the plant, not over head.

I fertilized in the beginning with plant toner and then worm casing tea. I usually do the worm casing about every 3 weeks or so.

The soil in the baskets is a commercial potting mix for containers. Completely different from the soil in the bed which is a mixture of manure, peat moss and basic garden soil. I planted each tomato with 2 egg shells along with plant toner in each hole. This would be the first year I haven't had any calcium problems, so at least that something.

After doing additional reading and searching I think I have come to the conclusion that I have Verticillium wilt. I am going to go home and cut a stem to be sure. I had cut a stem before but it was above the soil line, not below which is where the discoloration shows in Verticllium wilt.

The black edging on the newer leaves seems to be inline with the V-shapped lesions which are common in Verticillium Wilt.

I really hope I am wrong but I think this is what the problem is.

Mechanical damage = bumped or bruised.

That's not verticillium.

Please post pictures of individual entire affected plants. Fragments can be confusing and non-representative.

Thank you for your reply.

These plants are not bumped or bruised. These plants where perfectly fine 2 weeks ago. These plants are in a raised bed and is fenced off.

I raised these from seeds and have watched this what ever it is take over my plants for the last 3 weeks.

I will post additional images this evening.

Have a great day.

Here are additional images of my plants and the set up.

Please let me know id you know what is causing the yellowing leaves and wilt.

Thank you!

Here are some additional images of my plants and set up.

Please let me know if you know what is causing the yellow leaves and wilt.

Thank you!

Another....

Pic of the entire bed and hanging baskets

I don't think you have enough soil volume to support those plants.

in the baskets or in the bed or both?

I had Romas in the bed last year and there did really well.

This is the first time I have done cherry tomatoes in the baskets but they are to only get 20 inches. They are almost full grown now.

Cherry tomatoes are indeterminates and grow to 5 or 6 feet or more. Unless, that is, you have a kind I'm unfamiliar with.

The Cherry tomatoes I have are called cherry punch hybrid.
I picked this variety because of its compact habit. It was said to be good in contains.

Grows 24" tall by 26" wide. The seeds came from Burpee.

Cool. That's good to know.

Are there enough nutrients in that soil for those plants?

Find a local gardner to help you...tomatoes and peppers need at least 5 gal containers and larger is better...be sure and put a handful of epsom salt in planting hole of tomatoes and peppers, can add around plant and water in... (will prevent blossom end rot and also help grow healthy plant)....blight is bad and needs to be dealt with early in season....watering plants correctly is critical...not enough plant slowly dies...to much and plant slowly dies (lack of oxygen). make sure soils drain good...i use hydrogen peroxide when watering sometime (16 oz 3% per 5 gal water to help supply extra oxygen to roots)...make sure water is chlorine free (let sit in open container for 24 hrs) or garden hose chlorine filter...hope this gives you some ideas to think on...also foliar feed with good compost tea (pull up dirtdoctor on web for good compost tea formula) ...the indian

I don't know about the ones in the ground, but it's hard to believe tomato plants would thrive in those little containers.