Sudden tomato leaf damage – wilting

[dan hazelrowanParticipant]

Hi Charles,

Not a good day for my tomatoes today – all looking happy , last night put them on my newly refreshed hotbed, and over night temps were 14-19 degs on hotbed, 4 deg in tunnel. A slight frost outside.

Today they are wilting and the leaves have what looks like frost damage, or at least the cell structure in the leaf is damaged and the leaves are wilting (have emailed you photos)

Not all have been affected but the ones that have don’t look good! the varieties are agro f1 (in photos) and sungold f1

All i can think is that the hotbed is giving off a gas which the tomatoes cannot tolerate, all other plants on the hotbed look ok

Oh well could be another year of gardeners delight plants from the plant stall!

Dan

Ps i also have some smaller plants which have been affected also, which is not good news as they a month younger than the larger ones

[charlesModerator]

 Oh Dan this is a shame, they look poorly. I’m afraid I don’t know. Where were they before being on the hotbed? (on the old one or just on staging?) Were they then on a pallet or woodn frame resting on the hotbed? Strange that some varieties are ok. Watering similar of all?

[bluebellParticipant]

My toms are on a window sill and the Sungold are fine but the Latah all have one leaf that is curled and mottled. Thought it could be aphid but I can find no sign of them.

On the up side they do appear to still be growing and I think will survive but have been slowed down a bit by it.

Hope yours pick up Dan

[Pete BuddParticipant]

I had a similar problem in my greenhouse. Healthy plants moved from house to greenhouse, after initial good growth, leaves wilted and plants became unviable. This happened again the next year so I abandoned the greenhouse for tomatoes. Some time after I moved the greenhouse to another site, inc; dismantling, thoroughly cleaning glass and frame with Jeyes Fluid and re-erecting. I have had no problems for 2 years now. I think it was a disease possibly harboured by insects or spores in the structure.

Pete

[dan hazelrowanParticipant]

Well the tomatoes were all on staging next the cooled hotbed, and put on the hotbed in the evening, i filled the hotbed during the day.

I think it’s some kind of bacterial wilt – it can be brought on by high temps & humidity , also affects capsicums and aubergine! Apparently a big problem in Florida where humidity is always high,

So i introduced both a big dose of humidity and heat overnight and enter the bacterial wilt, waiting for its moment…

My chillis and aubergines, also on the hotbed overnight , are affected but luckily not too badly, but i may well lose some plants of those as well…

So I have moved my aubergines and chillis to the other tunnel, to isolate them from toms, which are still in the hotbed tunnel, but on staging.

I’ll take some more photos to show the symptoms of all the plants, doesn’t look promising, as once the bacteria takes hold it could just be a matter of time….

Yes a shame as they were all doing very well! And my first attempt at growing these plants from seed..

But it’s gardening and all failure is a lesson, and also a good time to practice the art of zen detachmenet But it’s hard as we gardeners do get attached to our plants…

I’ve pricked out some extra basil and i have 40 melons in modules, on the hotbed now, along with my curcubits, so all is not lost!

[dan hazelrowanParticipant]

Just need to add that when this happened, the vent in the polytunnel door next to hotbed was closed! In error! Should have been open…

[dan hazelrowanParticipant]

Tomatoes are really fighting back – some new leaves grown! Amazing weather has helped a lote no doubt, so nice to see a ‘never give up’ spirit with plants!  Haven’t lost any tomatoes yet!

Aubergines looking fine and chillis ok too,

So far only lost two chilli plants,  so fingers crossed!

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