No advice, as I am just a beginner, but I wish mine would die quickly from obvious disease, rather than developing "leather leaf", stop growing, stay green for a month, gradually get crispy, finally turn brown, taking up a month of my time trying, without any success, to revive them.

I'm beginning to think tomatoes do not do well in places that have 100 degree temperatures with 30 mph constant wind.

If they suddenly "got sick", I would probably spray them with a disease control, then pull them up in three days and put them in the trash.

Tom

30mph constant wind is NOT good. Do other people in your area grow tomatoes? If so, and they're successful, try to find out what varieties they're growing, and put up a wind block.
Good luck.
As for shesalittlebear's question.....????

Have you been spraying herbicide around the place?
Where did you get the mulch?
How moist is the ground.
Is it water logged or dried out?
It looks pretty darn bad.

Give us info on this.

Worth

Where are you in CA?

High on my list would be
Fusarium
Verticillium
Root Knot Nematodes.

.....based on your location and the large amount of dead foliage.

But I can't see the whole plants.

Any wilting and if so, does it start with single branches and how did it progress with regvard to both wilting and foliage color change?

I seem to see some spots on leaves in the last couple of pictures but the photos are bluirred to me so I can't see specifics.

Would you please describe in detail the size and shape of those spots, and color and whether you see yellow halos around them and if you see any conectric circles inside those spots

Thanks

Carolyn,almost forgot, are these in pots or inground and are ALL the plants your'e growing showing these same symptoms/

Hi All,

Thank you for all of the advice. Sorry that I did not respond sooner, but the network was down. I know a few of you asked me some questions to help diagnose the problems with my tomato plants. Here are the answers to your questions:

"Have you been spraying herbicide around the place?"
No.

"Where did you get the mulch?"
I used straw from a local farm supply store. I did bring in compost and gardener soil from a local nursery.

"How moist is the ground?" Is it water logged or dried out?"
I only water twice a week. If the plants look droopy with the heat, I water accordingly.

"Where are you in CA?"
I live in Roseville, CA.

"Any wilting and if so, does it start with single branches and how did it progress with regard to both wilting and foliage color change?"

I never really noticed green leaves wilting. Being that this is only my second year growing tomatoes. I though that maybe the dried limp yellow leaving was from the heat. This started gradual (in the beginning I would pull off dead leaves). All of a sudden, there were just too many yellow and dried leaves and branches to pull off. I went on vacation for 5 days for the 4th of July. My grandparents were watching my house at that time. When I saw my plants after the trip, I knew they were in grave trouble.

All of the plants are grown in ground.

"Would you please describe in detail the size and shape of those spots, and color and whether you see yellow halos around them and if you see any concentric circles inside those spots"

The spots are "purplish" on some plants. On others, they are brown. I do not see any concentric circles within the spots.

I did notice that most of my tomato plants have large bumps on the stems (as show in a previous post). At one particular nursery almost all of the plants had these growths. I chose plants without them.

I posted a few more pictures. I hope they help. Sorry if they are not as in focus as possible. My house is very dark, so I took the pictures outside at 6 pm. The sun was still shining bright as ever. Thanks again.

Angelique

The leave below has brown spots and are wilting.

The leave below has purplish spots. On this plant, the leaves are not turning yellow.

Okay, after looking at all of the pictures and checking the roots for Root Knot Nematodes, I am pretty sure that my problem is Fusarium Wilt. 4 Plants are completely dead...All but 2 have no recourse.

A couple of articles that I read stated that I shouldn't plant tomatoes in the infected area for a few years. So how long is that? 3? 5? 10? 20 years? Also, what can veggies will still do okay in that area?

Thank you for your help.

Cheers,

Angelique

I think my 2 Box Car Willie plants are showing the same signs as yours shesalittlebear. I'm wondering the same thing about what veggies will still do ok in this area. I grow my veggies in 4' x 8' raised beds so soil is isolated from other beds. I "think" you can grow anything that is not in the tomato family such as peppers.
I also "think" the crop rotation is 3 years. Hopefully some of the awsome experts here will let us both know.
Good Luck and Good Gardening!!!
Peggy

So how long is that? 3? 5? 10? 20 years? Also, what can veggies will still do okay in that area?

Foliage pathogens can remain in the soil for 3-5 years but the systemic diseases such as Fusarium are there pretty mcuh forever, according to what my friends with Fusarium problems say as well as what I've read.

Since the fungi that cause Fusarium in tomatoes are specific for tomatoes other vegetables can be grown there although you might want to check out eggplant and potatoes if you grow those, b'c I jsut can't remember if the same Fusarium species that affect tomatoes also affect those related crops.

Carolyn

Thank you Caroly... =-[ -_ -

I guess now I will have to build those raised beds.

Hi
After losing a couple of seasons to wilt, this year I am growing Celebrity tomatoes which are pretty resistant to everything. I am very pleased with the taste, texture, etc. It's nice to grow tomatoes, and I had just about given up hope.
Pat

After losing a couple of seasons to wilt, this year I am growing Celebrity tomatoes which are pretty resistant to everything. I am very pleased with the taste, texture, etc. It's nice to grow tomatoes, and I had just about given up hope.

pat, hybrids with tolerances against certain diseases have just that, tolerances, they aren't resistant, which implies they never get that particular disease.

They last maybe 1-2 weeks more if a particular disease is even in that geographical area and while that's of great use to commercial growers it's less so for backyard growers.

Celebrity has the following tolerances:

V=verticillium, not that common a systemic disease

FF=tolerance to two races of Fusarium but not the third which is known to be in NJ as well, and not that common in NJ in general

N=southern root knot nematode, not a problem anywhere in NJ

T=TMV, not a major problem anywhere in the US except ion large greenhouse operations

A= Alternaria, and if Alternaria Stem Canker it's found almost exclusively in CA.

Wilt is a general term and there are many reasons why 0plants wilt, and some are disease related, and if you look thru the threads here you'll see other who have so called wilt diseases such as Bacterial Wilt, Southern Wilt, pith Necrosis, and on and on, and few varieties available to the home grower have tolerances against any of them.

What is a major problem for almost everyone are the foliage diseases for which there are NO varieties, hybrid or OP, that are tolerant save three which are not of use to the home gardener.

I know it looks so attrractive when one sees all those alphbetical designations next to a variety, but for the most part they are meaningless unless the specific pathogens are in that area and then it's only tolerance, not resistance.

Hope that helps.

Carolyn

Carolyn -
Thanks for that last note. As a relative beginner, I would never know those type of things. I keep making notes of what I am doing wrong (and sometimes, right) and what other's with more experience recommend. I think that's the best way to avoid problems.

Mulchwoman - I grew Celebs last season as I knew I would be able to spend much time tending the patch and wanted a plant that was somewhat determinate. They were very productive and the taste was good too.

ya know my plants are starting to look the same although i have tons of little white bugs that fly off the plant when i shake it.(im guessing white fly)and i see little light brown "sacks" on the underside of the leaves.(maybe eggs?)
but my leaves look just like the ones in your pic.so im not sure if its the bugs turning the leaves yellow or something else....or bolth???
help anyone?

on the above post it sounds as if you have aphids (not sure if it is spelled correctly.) pretty easy to get rid of though. Soap and water will work, special soaps, or an all in one; fertilizer, feed and bug killer. You can find all at Lowes or a nursery.

i thought aphida were green?these are little white bus and little brown sacks on the bottom of the leaves.

Hi Carolyn
You are sooo right. I spoke too soon. I now have the problem of yellowing of the plants (starting at the bottom) and working its way up the plant. The final stage is when the leaves turn brown and dry up just like leaves in the fall. I have a fair amount of green fruit and have harvested the first 2 tomatoes dead ripe and delicious, with lots of sugar--that being said, I am concerned that I will lose these plants before the other tomatoes ripen and that they won't have the same taste because the foliage is so depleted.
I am really at a loss.
Pat

Sounds like psyllid attack.
I got it bad in San Diego.

Here is a link that might be useful: Article about psyllids in California

I think i've got aphids - they're a bit bigger than the tip of my thumbnail. the big ones are fluffy and look ribbed. there are usually small ones or possibly eggs clustered around a big one. my adult tomato has already died, and the dead branches are covered in clumps of white foam or fur. i have 4 baby tomato plants about an inch high each, but theyve got an infestation too although there is usually only one larger bug on each one. how do i treat the baby tomatoes? i tried the soapy water but i dont know if it worked, i think there are still bugs or eggs stuck to them.

could anyone tell me what this is please