Re-posted in the Tomatoes Pests & Diseases forum.

That looks like chlorosis, which is due to the plant not taking up enough nutrients. However, just because your plant has chlorosis doesn't mean that the soil lacks nutrients, it can mean that the soil has plenty of nutrients but the plant can't absorb them for some reason, like the pH of the soil or soil compaction.

If you are using a fertilizer formulated for tomatoes, chlorosis shouldn't be due to lack of nutrients in the soil. The link below discusses chlorosis.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chlorosis

this link is about chlorosis due to iron deficiency in California.

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Chlorosis article

There is a virus in california called tomato chlorosis virus that is transmitted by white flies and cause chlorosis in tomatoes. The leaves on your tomato look like the leaves in Fig. 2A of the link below, which is due to the virus.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Chlorosis Virus

We're about ready to dig them up but I wanted to ask if someone can tell me what's wrong with the plant -- is this a disease, lack of nutrients, or ???

*****

Jenn, you say that you have several tomato plants along the fence and then ask what might be wrong with "the plant", so can I assume that only one of the plants has those symptoms?

And if so is there anything different about that plant, meaning, did you raise all of your own seedlings or did you buy some plants, especially the ONE showing symptoms.

It would make a difference if you bought that plant and no other plants have the same symptoms.

Before I say more I'll look for you answers first.

Carolyn

I went out back to look at the tomato plants --- there are 3 of them along the back fence --- and I have more information to share.

yumtomatoes: Thank you for the links. The leaves in the 2A photo appear to have typical yellow chlorosis color in the leaves; our leaves have beige veining and with pale, dull green color.

Carolyn: There are 3 tomato plants along the back fence, all growing in raise beds. I just went out to take a closer look, and all of them have these symptoms, but only on older leaves. Newer growth appears healthy and green.

We bought the tomato plants at a local arboretum plant sale in the spring. My husband filled the raised beds with a topsoil mix and some amendment w/tomato fertilizer. Our soil is clay and mildly alkaline. Tomatoes we've grown elsewhere in the yard (in the ground -- NOT raised beds) did very well and looked healthy; even a spontaneous seedling that emerged from beneath a rose looked great in spite of being too crowded.

Also: There's a row of Oleanders immediately on the other side of the fence (on the neighbors' side). They appear to be afflicted with a disease that is spreading among Oleanders. No doubt their roots are sharing some of the soil with our tomatoes.

These are the last tomatoes, and possibly any edibles, we'll grow in this spot.

Someone who lives nearby just told me that his tomatoes aren't as good as in years past, and both of us believe it could be our late summer. The new growth on our tomatoes (a foot or more long) looks healthy; it's the older growth that doesn't look good.

Tomato Chlorosis Virus and Tomato Infectious Chlorosis Virus shows up in the older leaves first, and the newer growth can look normal until the disease progresses. The chlorotic areas can be yellow to white and it is spread by whiteflies, which would explain your neighbor having a similar problem.

I would send some of the leaves to your local extension office to let them diagnose the problem. I am sure they would be interested in knowing if these viruses are a problem in your area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bill Wintermantel

Rather than send "some leaves," I would call the Extension Service to ask about your problem. Some offices accept digital images.

Seldom will "some leaves" suffice for a diagnosis. (Trust me, I work in such an office and become VERY frustrated when the client brings only "some leaves.")

"Some leaves" don't reflect what's happening with the entire plant.

Even on this forum, it's wise to post at least 2 images -- an overall of the plant, another close-up of the problem.

How about posting an overall for us?

And I agree with you that the coloration patterning is different on the virus-affected plant.

Don't know about the link posted just above, but you can locate your own county's office info with this USDA map

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA map to locate Extension Service offices

well of course she should call before she sends any plant materials. Usually the horticulturalists at my extension office can diagnose quite a bit from my description, but they request I send them in the leaves to verify. Assuming of course it is a problem that is seen in the leaves, which in the OP's case, it is.

The USDA link I posted is to a specific agent at a specific office who has published on tomato chlorosis virus in california. His work on this topic is widely cited by others.

Jenn, I'm sorry it took me so long to come back and respond to you.

I didn't see any yellowing of the leaves on the picture you showed but wanted to be sure that you hadn't bought plants from a commercial greenhouse since if it were viral that's the first place it would show up in a confined environment as several of the links have indicated.

The Arboretum at Long Beach maybe is where you got your plants?

Since you also say that tomatoes you have that are grown inground are OK, then I doubt it's the Chlorosis virus b'c that's spead by an insect, as you know from all of the psots and links to date, and insect transmitters of disease are NOT going to just infect plants in raised beds and not those grown inground nearby.

Just a note to Jean. Jean, I was curious about any effect of oleanders on tomatoes and located a GW thread where someone had asked the same question, and you had said, no, no problems with Oleanders and tomatoes but don't eat the Oleander leaves. LOL

So at this point with your inground plants being fine, even the volunteer under the rose bush, and some of us now not seeing the leaf coloration to be definitely yellowish and due to a virus, I can't see the sense of contacting your local Coop Office unless at this point you really feel it's necesaary.

And through all of this no one seemed to address the issue of nutritional cholorosis that I noted in my first post, I think, the emphasis here being on a virus and I'd address the nutritional issue before suggesting a viral cause myself. As in keep Dx's simple to start with and then get more complex with time. But those laves don't look like nutritional chlorosis to me anyway.

So, something in the raised bed? Who knows, and if so, who knows what?

Hope that helps.

Carolyn

Carolyn, yumtomatoes, and Jean: Thank you all so much for taking the time to share your suggestions and comments.

Just to clarify one point: We're not growing any other tomatoes in the ground at this time; only these 3. The one that popped up beneath a rose was removed a few weeks ago because it was too crowded and was not in a good spot --- but the foliage was healthy! Perhaps that was due to the abundance of nutrients given to the rose. :)

Since we don't plan to grow tomatoes in this spot ever again --- unless we remove the roses and Juniper trees to remove the shade, and we don't plan to do that now! --- I'm not going to call or send any leaves at this time. We'll find a new spot in the ground with more sun for next year's crop. Meanwhile, we'll keep an eye on the plants as they continue to produce new green foliage and see if they too develop the pattern on the leaves shown in the photo.

Next year I plan to grow tomatoes from organic/heirloom seeds I'm purchasing on-line from Renee's and other sources.

I don't think it is a nutritional problem. I always get diseases and bugs when I buy seedlings from anyone. It almost never happens when I grow my own from seeds. So mcuh cheaper and satifying too!

My two bits worth:
I notice you're also from soCal so I have some thoughts.
Firstly: I believe in soil... and your problem is confined to a certain soil sector. But you've already addressed that subject.
Secondly: Seasonal Timing is important, in soCal. Some folks might dispute this, because of our very long growing season. But tomatoes are seasonal, and I have personally observed that plants that get a late start perform poorly, and even appear stunted, compared to other plants in the same garden, the same soil... all other things being same.
Thirdly: The timing of the individual plants matter; i.e., after they've borne fruit, they fade. Are the plants in question late in their life cycles? I suspect NOT; but I wanted to mention this, since you were silent on this point.
Forthly: Pot size. A plant will appear small and frail, if it cannot build adequate root base.
Fifthly: Nutrition. My potted plants have performed poorly, compared to in-ground plants, in recent years. I am looking squarely at the inadequate nutrition of the potted soil; the evidence is overwhelming.

Good luck.
Just thought I'd add a few points possibly overlooked.