Problem with transplanted tomatoes (What is it?)

20 years ago

I'm trying tomatoes for the first time, so I got a couple Brandywine plants and one Roma last Saturday. After preparing a row for them I transplanted them on Sunday. By Monday or Tuesday, I started seeing some problems that seem to have gotten worse on the Brandywines. The Roma right next to them has some minor issues too, but nothing like the others.

A few of the Brandywine leaves started to shrivel on the tips within a day or two of planting, and some holes in the leaves started to form. At first I thought it might be some bugs or other pest, but there is now some light brown discoloration on at least one leaf (like small parts of the leaf are just dead).

I looked at the TAMU Tomato Problem Solver, and the closest thing this looks like is Verticillium Wilt, just not nearly as bad as their picture. I'm not so sure though.

So, can anyone help be identify the problem (even if I'm just being hypersensitive and this is just transplant shock). I took some photos this morning to help, some are a little out of focus, apparently the camera was too close.

This is a couple of the leaves, the larger one has some small light brown spots that are a little difficult to see in the picture.

{{gwi:1291546}} Sme two leaves, maybe a better shot.

One of the Brandywines, you can see the end of a leaf shriveling up in the lwoer part.

Same leaf up closer.

Another leaf, I think from the other plant. A little out of focus but you can seen the end has shriviled up into pretty much a string at the end.

{{gwi:1291558}} The other Brandywine (other than the full shot above).

These are a few of the Roma that is planted next to the Brandywines:

A couple of leaves, one looks totally gone, so I wonder if something didn't eat it.

{{gwi:1291561}} Another few leaves. Those are holes on the leaf on the left, not spots.

For completeness, this is the full Roma plant.

Any help is greatly appreciated, and I hope I didn't throw in too many pictures (I actually have more, but I guess you can't give too much information). By the way, had a big thunderstorm come through last night, so that is why everything is so wet. I'm sure they are overwatered now.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

carolyn137
20 years ago
In two days you aren't going to see any systemic diseases such as Verticillium appearing and you aren't going to see any foliage diseases showing synptoms yet either.

I also have those brownish spots all the time and I also have critters that chew on the leaves.

But I ignore all of it.

I don't like the looks of that first Brandywine plant you showed above but perhaps it can be chalked up to transplant shock, b'c there simply has not been enough time for anything else to develop so that you'd see symptoms of disease.

And I would assume that your purchased plants were free of disease when you bought them.

YOu didn't see any of what you describe when you bought the plants, did you?

Carolyn
travelerb
Original Author
20 years ago
None of this was present when I bought them, not a single hole, no spots, looked great. Both Brandywines started to hunch over a bit since planting, the stems were a lot more stable, as you noticed in the first picture.

It did seem to be pretty fast for a disease, so I'll try to look out for bugs. Wife wants to put Sevin Dust all around, but I think that would be overkill and unnecessary at this point.

Thanks for the help. Hopefully they start to come back a bit soon.
Related Professionals
Miami Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Killeen Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Sheboygan Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Salinas Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Farmington Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Rapid City Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Portsmouth Landscape Contractors · Texarkana Landscape Contractors · Wichita Falls Landscape Contractors · Richmond Landscape Contractors · Belleville Home Additions · Florence Home Additions · Baltimore Home Additions · Cambridge Home Additions · Victoria Home Additions
cbars
20 years ago
Looks mostly like transplant shock.

How deep did you plant? Looks to me like you barely put the root ball under ground. You should bury about 80% of the plant. Creates a much stronger plant because of a better root system.

Good luck and you might think about digging them up and replanting.

Gary
farkee
20 years ago
I would pull your mulch away from the stems a few inches. Don't let it touch. You can see in picture 6 that the stem is starting to thin and it can actually rot and fall over. I have had that happen when my straw mulch is too close.