Tomato Plants' Leaves are Yellowing

My tomato plants are showing yellow leaves.  This started with the lower stems and has proceeded up the plants.  I have no idea what the problem is.  In searching the web I found that soil pH might cause it, but I'm using MM mixed this Spring and doubt that the pH can be that far out of whack.

Failure to take up nitrogen is also mentioned.  I am reluctant to add anything lest I mess up the MM.  I would not want to use any chemical agent other than a natural one.  Is there danger of adding too much nitrogen?  If not, what agent would you use?  Would you add it to he entire bed or just the squares that have the tomatoes?

Another cause cited is any one of several fungal diseases.  The solution in all cases is to apply a fungicide.  Do you have a home-grown recipe for a fungicide to apply to tomato plants?  If so, what is it and how do you apply it?  . . .  to the soil or sprayed on the plants or both?

Any help or suggestions will be greatly appreciated and gratefully appreciated.  In the past, I've had mixed luck with toms.  I would like to know more about raising them, especially in MM.

TIA

 

Could be lots of things. Too much or too little water, virus, fungus, etc... I had a similar problem and it wound up being a nutrient deficiency.
Got any pics?

OK, here are some pics.

This first one shows the wide shot of the plants in there squares.  You can see leaf yellowing as well as some leaves not yet affected.


Here is a close up of dead leaves and stems.


Another close up showing yellowing and dead leaves


More dead leaves and stems


A dying leaf showing the yellow overtaking the green and brown overtaking the yellow.


A yellowing leaf not quite so far gone.


What looks like something eating the a leaf.


And something eating my basil.


Another square of damaged basil leaves.



This bed gets bright sun from about 10:30 am until about 4:00 pm.  This is a newly mixed MM that has never had anything planted in it before.

We got about a half inch of rain Monday.  I have not watered since then, nor have I needed too.  The bottom of the bed is 1/2" hardware cloth covered with landscape fabric.  It drains when saturated.

My guess is that there are several things going on at once.  Perhaps there is a fungus or a virus.  The holes in the leaves on both toms and basil looks like an animal pest.

I have not yet harvested a tomato.  I would really hate to lose the plants without tasting fruit from either of them.

Chives, thyme, carrots, parsley and other basil plants are going great guns in other squares.  Is it probable that I've planted things together that should not be?

TIA

Top dress with a 1inch or thicker layer of quality compost and water well OR feed the plants a Iiquid fertilizer per label instructions.

camprn wrote:Top dress with a 1inch or thicker layer of quality compost and water well OR feed the plants a Iiquid fertilizer per label instructions.

+1
First year MM can be a little "compost weak."  I should know!     I had to use Miracle Grown, half strength when my first year plants came to a screeching halt.  As I make better and better quality compost, the MM just keeps improving, and the mocro-community flourishes.

Thank you, camprn and sanderson!!!

I loaned out my 1st edition ANSFG and my 2nd edition has not yet arrived.  I suspected there might be a problem.  I will top dress today.

What about the holes in the basil and tom leaves?  Is that because the plants are weak and need nourishment making them vulnerable to bugs?  Should I make up a soap and pepper spray?

Again, thank you very much.

This is a great forum!!!!!

 

rabbithutch wrote:...What about the holes in the basil and tom leaves?...

It might be worthwhile to don the official nighttime SFG gardener's uniform⁽¹⁾ and go slug hunting after dark.

Or if you're lazy like me, lay a board on top of your MM and check for slugs underneath every morning.


(1) bathrobe, slippers, headlamp, spray bottle holster.

boffer wrote:

rabbithutch wrote:...What about the holes in the basil and tom leaves?...

It might be worthwhile to don the official nighttime SFG gardener's uniform⁽¹⁾ and go slug hunting after dark.

Or if you're lazy like me, lay a board on top of your MM and check for slugs underneath every morning.


(1) bathrobe, slippers, headlamp, spray bottle holster.

I've done this and it works like a charm. All kinds of critters crawling around in the garden at night. Including me!  

Well, earlier  I went out and went through the toms with a pair of scissors removing the dead and dying stems.  I then top dressed (Miracle-Gro, because I don't have anything else) and re-did my Florida weave to support the stems that are growing like topsy.  I did a lousy job stringing a few weeks ago and decided to replace it.

I found a black caterpillar about an inch long on one of the stems.  I looked pretty carefully but didn't see any more. It is now history.  I also found what I believe is powdery mildew in a couple of places.  It was small - maybe quarter inch and had white fluffy arms.  I pulled off about 4 or 5 of them.  All of this was on the toms.  Nothing on the other plants.

I'm mixing a spray of castile soap and vegetable oil to spray all the surfaces.  I'm going to spray everything in the bed.  If I kill anything, I'll chalk it up to experience.

As for slugs, I don't think they inhabit this part of the world.  I've lived in TX for almost 20 years and have yet to see one.  We do have the little snails with the cornucopia spiral shells, but I've not seen any in my TT yet.  When I lived in NC and had snail problems, a shallow pan of beer or two took care of the problem if applied regularly.  I used the small aluminum pie tins and put them into the ground so that the slugs could crawl right in.  We used to call them Hotel Californias.

Thanks for the question. I'm having pretty much the same issue. I thought I was over watering, so I scaled back a bit. I guess I'll add more nutrients/food. Keep use posted on how things progress.

 

Correction to my earlier post.  I should have proofread it more carefully.  What I meant to say was "When I lived in NC and had problems with SLUGS (not snails) . . . "

RH, I use Sluggo Plus for snail/slug, sowbug and earwig control.

Thanks, sanderson!

I have some on order.

Just have to keep it dry. I'm going to set up baby food jars on their sides with SP. When I water, I keep getting the little trays (yogurt bottoms) wet.