urgent tomato problem (pics)

noodles123

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Jul 11, 2018
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Umbrella Cockatoo- 15? years old..I think?
My tomatoes have been doing fine. I noticed a few yellowish leaves around the base and assumed it was due to lack of sunlight.

It had been a while since I fertilized them, so yesterday, following the instructions on the bag, I used Job's all-purpose organic fertilizer.
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It rained last night (and I did water yesterday).

Anyway, I came outside this morning to find that ALL of my plants had serious yellow leaves and the start of brown edges on many of the green ones.

Having forgotten that I fertilized (LOL) I pruned off all of the sketchy branches (and there were A LOT) and then I sprayed them down with some wetted sulfur (because I was thinking it was fungal). That was just this morning, so this wasn't caused by the sulfur application.

Then I remembered the fertilizer and I am wondering if this was caused by nitrogen burns, as it happened overnight....Then again, if it is fungal, they are all close-ish together and it rained...plus yesterday was humid...

As a last attempt to save fix the situation, I manually removed as much of the surface fertilzer as I could with my hands, and then I watered the patch for like 15 minutes in hopes of washing away the issues and flushing the roots...but if it is fungal, maybe I made it worse...Dk

HERE are the leaves I found this morning. They were the worst at the bottom of the plants ..Some mid-level leaves were still green with brown edges...Others looked okay. The tops look/looked fine..The bottoms really got messed up though (and I had to chop off a lot).

The plants are about ready to start baring fruit--- one is at least 4 ft tall. The other plants in the enclosure (peppers, basil and rosemary) don't seem to be upset by this so far...

I DO have a VERY LARGE black walnut tree in my yard, but I assumed juglone poisoning would happen earlier...not later... There are 2 trees- one in my neighbor's yard, about 40-50 ft away and one in mine...about 40-50 ft away...(both black walnuts--- BUT wouldn't the tomatoes have failed to grow if that was the issue?) Just seems odd that this all would happen at once following fertilizer use...It's the kind you just lay on top of the soil BTW.

This came from multiple plants---4 total)--AGAIN-- THESE IMAGES ARE NOT THE ACTUAL PLANTS---JUST PRUNED PORTIONS IN A PILE.

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Also-- the little really tiny dots that look like spots on the backs of some of those leaves are actually dirt particles from splash-up when watering...they were near the base.


I know that blight starts as spots, but this didn't start as spots as far as I know...There were a few yellowish leaves....It seemed normal....I fertilized because I figured they were due...


WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM AND WILL IT SPREAD TO MY PRECIOUS PUMPKINS?!?!?

Whatever it is seems to be starting on the edges as black/brown...
The early yellowing I noted near the base may actually be unrelated---not sure, as the leaves in the middle still look green and are getting a black border.
 
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Anyone? I am super impatient because I am worried there is something I need to do quickly to prevent them keeling over or spreading this (depending on what it is).
 
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Why did it happen overnight and why isn't it impacting the peppers? I looked this up, but have you read about walnut wilt ? I know it looks kind of like VW---believe me....I know....BUT-- isn't it odd that it would just strike right after fertilizing?

If it is what you say...wouldn't it spread to my pumpkins?

Here is what the plants look like currently (you still think it's VW??):

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I rhink they will be all right. Dust the dirt off with your hands and just water the ground, instead of spraying the leaves. jh
 
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I rhink they will be all right. Dust the dirt off with your hands and just water the ground, instead of spraying the leaves. jh


That's the thing-- I always did water from the ground, so it is very weird..I mean, yeah, the lower ones sometimes drooped into the dirt or got a splash, but overall, I made an effort not to spray them ever---only thing that would have would be rain.
 
Sorry for being a fatalist! When I first moved to Central Florida, I was riding high with my gardening results and then it struck! Was harvesting Brussel sprouts, Kale, tomatoes, string beans, peas- you get the idea!
My experience with tomatoes is heartbreaking! Through my own fault, the wilt is spread throughout my property! Year after year I tried, and, overnight it hits! I have even tried growing determinant varieties, hoping to get one crop! In my experience, it doesn’t affect the other plants! Up north, I used to run 100 or more plants! In Connecticut, the slugs will get you!
 
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So you still think its VW? :( wahhhh
 

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