Noticed a discoloration the leaves of my tomatoes a few days ago. Initially, a few leaves had a bronze discoloration with a slight curl to the leaves. The underside of the leaves looks fairly normal. No idea what happens in the long term since it's only been a few days since it started. I'm growing in Earthboxes, with the recommend setup for planting mix, lime, and 10-10-10 fertilizer. It seems to be affecting all the plants. Photos are below:
David R
David, every spring my tomatoes get infested with aphids, once, when the plants have been outdoors just about as long as yours have. The leaves curl and the plants look a lot like your pictures when that happens. Can you see any aphids on the undersides of leaves and on new-growth stems?
I hope that's what it is, because aphids are easy to fix. I spray once with pyrethrin, which I consider a natural insecticide and pretty safe, and then I don't see aphids again for a year.
Tried pyrethrin today. Didn't see much sign of aphids, other than some tiny black possible droppings. Didn't see any caterpillars, though that's what I would have said the drops were. I will see what happens...
I hope the problem was aphids, though if you can't find any then that's probably not it. When my tomato plants get their annual springtime dose of aphids, there are dozens of the things on the underside of each leaf - partying, dancing, smokin' cigarettes, etc. They're not subtle or hard to see.
In my experience, when tomato leaves curl up and get crinkly like that, it's a general sign of stress. Most commonly here, when they look that way the stress is being caused by aphids - but I've had it happen when the plants are struggling to handle a fertilizer overdose.
I was hoping Carolyn would chip in, but I don't know how her health is-- she may not be online at all. I suppose the issue could be a little damage/stress from the cool weather the other night. I left the plants out the second night of our cool weather when it got down to about 39 degrees. They're sprayed, so if it is an insect then maybe that will get it. If it was the cold, then they should grow out of it in a few days. Thanks.
David
Turns out the frass was from cabbage loopers. Caught them fairly early. The nice thing about the white Earthbox cover is that it shows the grass as an early warning AND it clearly shows the dead pests when they fail. There were 8 or 9 on the whole group of tomatoes. Still can't tell if the bronzing/stress was caused by aphids or mites. Hopefully the pyrethrin will knock whatever it was back a good bit.
Small tomatoes setting on every plant and more cool nights to come. I don't want to lose the plants to disease or pests. So far, so good.
I've had the leaves appear bronze when small worms are eating 1 layer of the leaf. The leaves looked bronze in the sunlight but when I broke them off and looked at them inside the color "changed." I'm pretty sure you found the problem.
