Not sure of the three varieties mentioned but certain varieties like Amish Paste, Belarusian Heart, Black Icicle and Banana Legs all have the appearance of being sickly wilted plants. I would suspect that as long as the leaves don't exhibit disease and production is par you can accept the trait as normal.

Looks a lot like weed killer damage.

jean001a: At first, I suspected something like that but I have never used weed killer. Nobody around us uses it either.

bmoser: Do you know of somewhere on the Internet where I could look up something like that? Thank you.

Could it be fertilizer burn? I'd be worried about the color of the stem but I don't know what the norm is for that variety. I've only grown roma one year but can't remember the color of the stem.

taz6122: All of our tomato plants have been started in the same brand/type of potting soil. It is only those few varieties that are looking like that.

For right now, I'm going to have to assume that it is the norm for those types of plants to look so sad. If so, it is going to make it very difficult to sell them at farmers markets.

Did you use the same potting mix for all the plants? Or did you put compost in some but not in others?

I ask because a number of gardeners have been hit with herbicide damage from contaminated organic matter, including some commercially bagged products.

If so, read this from Wash State Univ
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/soilmgmt/Clopyralid.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: contaminated organic matter

Check out these photos of mineral deficiency in tomato plants - specifically phos. I know it won't explain the fact that the other varieties seem normal but nutrient uptake in roma types is always a bit more weird than with non-roma types.

Otherwise Jean's question would be my best guess - contaminated potting mix.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Nutrient deficiency in tomatoes

jean001a: We had an issue last year with possibly contaminated organic matter, but that was only after we had put them in the ground. We spread some compost last year but it seems it came from cows fed grass/alfalfa that had herbicide sprayed on it. None of our starts are in the ground yet. All of our starts are using the same potting soil. Only the Romas are showing the wilted leaves.

digdirt : Thanks for the link. If we grow Roma types next year, we will play very close attention to mineral intake. Maybe we will use a potting mix that is higher in phosporus for them.

I find some pictures on the Internet of what looks like a healthy yield of roma tomatoes but the leaves look similar to our starts. Maybe this is the norm with Roma's...?

Some photos on Flickr

Didn't investigate fully Snarg but this trait of certain Roma types and especially heart shaped fruit types is common among heirloom types and the topic has been discussed on this forum in past years.

Try looking up "Wispy leafed tomato types" . Some refer to it as "wilt gene" but in reality it is an expression of a number of genes.

I think you have nothing to worry about based on the pisture. I'll add Green Sausage variety to the list that just look like a virus took over the plant but they do fine over time- at least they always have for me.

Although I won't rule out that similar symptoms can be exibited by a number of viruses that affect tomatoes, the worst thing you can do at this time is to rip these plants from the ground until you understand the undermining cause.

I realize it has been a few years since this post - I stumbled upon it researching my own problem with my Striped Roma plants - they are green and growing, but drooping - looks just like the pictures you posted. They are producing. There are three of them and all doing the same thing. The other tomato plants around them are not affected. I am baffled. Curious to know if you have grown romas in recent years and had the same thing happen? Thank you.

Yeah, old thread ..

Leaf rolling is quite common in certain varieties. If you do a google search you will see tons of pictures . I have had a Black Krim one year that had rolled leaves all season long and it thrived and produced.

Sey