Tomato leaf problem

[Gordonmull]

Hi folks

Just noticed a few of my tomatoes like this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57278801@N04/7362349624/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57278801@N04/7177126381/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57278801@N04/7362350388/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57278801@N04/7177127187/in/photostream

I'm suspecting it's Mg deficiency, since the damage appears to be between the veins. 3 out of 50 plants are affected, with it being restricted to the Orange Currant variety only. Can anyone give me a second opinion?

I've done an epsom salts spray at 1/4 of an ounce of salts to 1/2 pint of water.

Cheers

Gord

[Gordonmull]

[saddad]

yeak... hope the salts sort it out...  :-X

[chriscross1966]

Could be early blight....not the horror that is late blight but a bugger to deal with none the less....might also be scorch though.... doesn't really look like Mg deficiency, you usually get a lot of yellow with that as it can't make enough chlorophyll... brown tends to be somethgn killing it...

[Gordonmull]

Oh balls! I'll take the plants from the rows, then, (thank god I do toms in containers) and put them in the front garden to isolate. I've found this, which is the best fit I can find on the web but needed an old hand's advice before action. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/tomatoproblemsolver/leaf/alter_cank.html

Doubt it's scorch - they're outdoors. Be lucky to scorch a shaved artic fox this summer  ;)

I know they had P deficiency in the early stages because the bottom leaves have purpled.

Potatoes (nearby, it's a garden) and the rest of the toms are fine thankfully.

Thanks for the advice.

[saddad]

OH brought home a similar tomato leaf yesterday... from a colleague we ummed and ahhed and thought "leaf Mould" Fulvia Fulva (?) fitted the bill best... high humidity being the key issue... like botrys but with out the grey fluff..  :-\

[Gordonmull]

Thanks Saddad but having now looked up that particular nasty I'm not convinced it's that. The tommies are outdoor and those spores need 20C+ to germinate. I think I'm going to have to suck up the early blight. I can see it starting on other plants too, all Orange Currant. GH toms, Millefleur outdoor toms, Urbikany outdoor toms and potatoes are all fine.

Way I see it - if it's not nutrition defect then it's bacterial, viral or fungal. I'm pretty sure I've no hope of controlling the two former but a liberal bordeaux spraying should possibly control fungus. Planning to treat as early blight.

If anyone can poke any holes in that plan of action, please do. I'm no expert!

For a bordeaux (god I hate spelling that word!) spraying plan what would be suggested? The packaging says once every three weeks but it looks like that's for preventative measures. Also I assume rain will wash it off.

[davyw1]

On my first look i thought nutrient deficiency the way the dark blotches are between the veins but the shape of the leaves would indicate Tomato Leaf Curl.
I dont think its blight as the leasions are not as they should be wrong colour and shape (f*g burn)

How much and how often do you water

[squeezyjohn]

All my toms in the greenhouse have had the same symptoms on their lower leaves.  I'm just removing them and hoping the weather will warm up soon - I think a lot of stuff is just stalling and getting sickly this year and I'm hoping for a couple of months of heatwave to see them right.

Cheers

Squeezy

[Gordonmull]

Watering is ambient in this weather, Davy. The heavens provide what they provide. It's not been overly wet, a few showers every couple of days. Cloudy, but not overly rainy. Temps at about 12-15C day and night.

Some plants are against an east facing hedge and others a west facing green house. My prevailing wind has been easterly at the moment. That means the hedge ones skip a little natural watering and the GH wall ones get the full whack. Both are suffering. Compost is always moist, not wringing wet, just moist. If it was dry to second knuckle depth i'd water but it's never come to that.

Definitely have leaf curl! This is Scotland in one of the coolest summers I can remember but I thought leaf curl was pretty much harmless. Can it cause little spots of necrosis and entire leaflets to brown and crisp?

The lesions are all over the leaves except for the very newest embriotic ones at the growing tip. Pics aren't too great, really. I'll post some better ones tomorrow. Bit late now and better taken in sunlight.

[picman]

Looks like Tomato Mosaic virus... 

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images/mosaic_virus_tomato.jpg

[saddad]

That was my first idea...  :-X