Curling Top Leaves

[lakngulf]

I had so many tomato starts that I am planting them everywhere. I used to have a garden under the power line, where I got sun from about 12noon until dark. But the trees got larger and larger so I move the garden to another location. Well, I decided to put some of the tomatoes in the old area under the power line.

Plants do not get enough sun, therefore spindly, but they do produce maters. But this year most plants have developed this top leaf curl



Last year the power company strayed the area very hard to kill undergrowth. Do you think there was enough residual herbicide to affect the tomato plants a year later?

[Lindsaylew82]

I have the same exact issue on 4 Rutgers that are planted closest to my neighbors yard. It gets downhill runoff from rain. I know he regularly treats his hard for weeds and pests and is extremely irresponsible about it. So far, I haven't noticed any other issues with it aside from the crispy, wispy, lettuce look.

[applestar]

I think it's likely to be residual from one of the following:

Aminopyralid, clopyralid, fluroxypyr, piclo- ram, and triclopyr are in a class of herbicides known as pyridine carboxylic acids. They are registered for application to pasture, grain crops, residential lawns, commercial turf, certain vegetables and fruits, and road- sides (Table 1).

These are the herbicides that can contaminate hay, straw and manure due to long half-life:

The chemicals of greatest concern are picloram, clopy- ralid, and aminopyralid because they can remain active in hay, grass clippings, piles of manure, and compost for an unusually long time.

https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/progra ... ryover.pdf

[rainbowgardener]

good reference from applestar! I agree looks like herbicide damage and some herbicide residues can still be around a year later. ElizabethB posted about her husband spraying 2,4D and the killed area still being killed a year later, even though 2.4D isn't "supposed" to stay around that long.

[lakngulf]

good reference from applestar! I agree looks like herbicide damage and some herbicide residues can still be around a year later. ElizabethB posted about her husband spraying 2,4D and the killed area still being killed a year later, even though 2.4D isn't "supposed" to stay around that long.

That was my first thought, since the Power company spray did a number on black berry bushes, and undergrowth last year.

[gixxerific]

I would bet on herbicide damage.