serobin
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Help with Tomato Leaf Curl

I purchased 10 different types of tomatoes from the garden center about 3 weeks ago (various types including Black Prince, Black Krim, Beefsteak, Sweet 100s, Brandywine, Golden Boy etc.) Most came in 4" pots. I replanted all into Gallon sized pots using a "Veggie Garden Mix" soil I purchased. I planted all plants near the bottom of the Gallon pots, and filled the rest of the pot up with the veggie mix to try and encourage new root growth further up the stem.

Within a few days, two of the plants began to roll their bottom branches. This gradually got worse and much of the new growth eventually started to curl. Even the suckers started to curl. Eventually all of the tomato plants now have similar symptoms, to varying degrees. Below are some photos.
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I've read the various threads on tomato curl, but am definitely confused. I've considered some of the possible causes and my opinion of the likelihood it is causing the above problem:

-Too much/too little nitrogen: Seems unlikely, given this soil is literally sold for this purpose (Or so I'm told by the supplier). All are planted in the same soil.

-Overwatering: Seems unlikely, given the plants are only watered every 3-4 days. The soil appears to drain very well. I've even remove a few plants from the pots and the soil was in my opinion just slightly moist at the very bottom.

-Herbicide Damage: No herbicides have been used, so this seems very unlikely to me.

-Virus/Disease: This seems maybe the most likely to me, given I feel like I'm running out of options to blame the problem on.

The problems seems to have gradually gotten worse and now all plants have the above symptoms. All plants were also purchased from same nursery (perhaps they all had the same virus or it spread there, if it's in fact a virus). The growth also seems rather slow to me - they have grown, but at a bit of a slow rate. I live in Vancouver, BC to add some further context and it's been almost entirely clear and sunny for past 2 weeks. The only plant that seems unaffected is the brandywine, which appears to have a very different style of leaf from all the other tomatoes (more flat and wide). When I removed two of the plants from the pots by tipping them upside down, there was lots of root growth and new roots throughout the pot and it looked quite healthy below soil level (if that helps or is even relevant).

Could you guys please offer any help/advice on what the possible causes are and help me troubleshoot this problem. Happy to provide more pictures if needed. Many thanks!

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applestar
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First, did it say on the package that this veggie garden mix is for containers? Usually container mix is called "potting mix" here. If this was not meant for containers, typically the product would be (1) too heavy and not well draining or more woody and like mulch sometimes.... and (2) intended to be mixed into existing soil - incomplete in nutrients.

serobin
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I purchased the veggie-mix in bulk (2 yards) from a soil-company. I didn't have any other instructions, so assumed it would be OK for the containers. My plan had been to transplant from the 1 gallons to a raised bed after 2-3 weeks. Here is a link to the product I purchased.

https://www.triplefivebulkproducts.ca/pr ... ix-Topsoil

Please let me know what you think. What would you have done differently? What do you suggest I do from here? Many thanks.

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applestar
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Ha. I stepped away to get some snack and you already replied.

I was about to add that -- that said, this kind of shriveling curl is very suspicious -- not really like a simple physiological leaf curl.

Brandywine is a potato leaf type so different leaf shape but is it also showing reduced shriveled new shoots?

Simple test for herbicide -- try sowing pea or bean in container filled with the product -- you could even just push some seeds in same container as tomatoes.

...do you see any russetting -- powdery brown substance -- or any webbing under leaves or in leaf crotchets? You will need to examine very closely. Preferably with Magnifying glass or jeweler's loupe. This is in case of mites.

serobin
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Thanks Applestar! Below are more detailed pictures of the Brandywine:
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I would say the new shoots/growth (suckers) seem a bit "off", whereas the more mature leaves are more flat/normal looking. The top of the plant is only a bunch of flower. (Didn't see any new growth in pic above at top of plant, as though this bunch of flowers may be the end?). Is it flowering/ending growing because of the problems?

I heard on a different forum a lot of people were leaning towards herbicide damage. They mentioned that 2-4-D herbicide could be in the hay and end up in the manure used in the veggie-mix. Below are a few more detailed pics of the most severe curl.
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I didn't see any webbing or russetting under the leaves... Noticed a few small black flies on some of the plants, but not very many.

What do you think about the herbicide comments?

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Lindsaylew82
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It looks pretty dang classic herbicide exposure to me. When I saw the pics, without reading the text, that's immediately what I thought. It really doesn't take much to distort them like that...

I've seen leaf curl virus look similar to that, but that looks textbook herbicide exposure, IMO.

I feel like I'm seeing this a lot lately!!! That makes me wonder if it isn't some viral thing going around.

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applestar
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That's why you should test with the pea/bean. They are extremely susceptible and show up right away in the sprouted seedlings if in the soil mix.

IF herbicide, it could also be wind drift from sprayed herbicide (even if you didn't, it could have been neighbor, lawn service, power/utility company, nearby farm), in which case, shouldn't show up in the pea/bean seedlings.

serobin
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Thanks for all the help. So here's what I'm concluding and also an important follow-up question.

Conclusion: Herbicide in manure in the veggie mix is likely causing the leaf curling. More evidence below.

Follow-up Situation:
-This actually makes lots of sense and explains other problems I've seen in the garden.
-I purchased a seperate product called "Composted Bark Mulch" from the same company. My plan was to used this to cover bare areas to minimize weed growth and also help retain moisture
-My understanding is that this "Composted Bark Mulch" contains manure (and unfortunately, probably the same manure)
-I've used this product at the base of my Sweet Peas. They have been struggling the whole time with extreme leaf curl. Two of the sun-flowers I planted have this mulch around them and also have severe leaf curl, while the one sunflower that doesn't is totally normal.
-This adds to the evidence it's in the soil/manure and not air-born from the neighbour's spray.

Follow-up Questions:
-So now what should I do?
-Is that soil going to be permanently contaminated?
-Will the herbicide degrade with time? Won't it also be heavily diluted with rain/water? If so, can I help dilute it by excess watering? Unfortunately, I also read that even 3ppb is enough to cause damage.
-Should I simply avoid planting any of the "sensitive" plants in these areas (peas/beans/tomatoes/sunflowers) as a practical, but unfortunate solution?
-Sounds like I should avoid using any more of this mulch. Is it likely that the company selling it is aware of this problem? Seems like a big liability/problem to be selling a "Veggie Mix", advertised as being ideal for a veggie garden, while the product contains an herbicide that specifically kills one of the most common vegetables people would grow with the product.

Unfortunately I've spent a lot of money on these soils/mulches and thought I was doing the right thing. I've also spent a lot of time and effort transporting and spreading/digging these products in my garden. Lots learned here and very appreciative of all the help everyone provided. Now I'm wondering what I should do to salvage the situation without literally throwing all the soil out and digging the soil/mulch out of my garden.

Looking for any ideas you guys have on improving the situation practically with minimum effort/expense (I'm guessing the solution of throwing everything out and starting from scratch is the best, but I can't afford the time/effort/expenseof that solution).

Thanks again!

Stephen



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