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stunted growth, curling leaves and green bugs?

mayhem69
13 years ago

Hi, I have some jet star and golden jubilee tomatoes in the ground now for about 2 weeks. The soil is manure, mushroom tilled in. All of a sudden they are not looking so hot. I have been finding small green bugs on them. The leaves are curling badly and the growth seems to have stopped.

PLEASE HELP!

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Comments (6)

  • taz6122
    13 years ago

    The first pic definitely looks like herbicide damage.

  • jean001
    13 years ago

    I agree.

    The bumps on the lower stem are root initials.

    Without a description beyond "small green bugs," I'll go out on a limb & suggest you have aphids. If so, squish.

  • mayhem69
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    So i am assuming the grower did the herbicide damage? Cause i didn't use any? What can i do to save them?

  • snookst
    13 years ago

    Our plants have grown about two feet tall and beautiful until a week ago. One plant that is intermingled with another leaf wise has it and the other does not have this appearance so it would not appear to be contagious. The leaves are curled up, dark-dark green, little tiny yellow spots/not insects and feel very brittle to touch the entire stem and leaves. It is almost like it is drying up to touch and brittle. No insects seem to be apparent but I noticed like iron deficiency as you have a few leafs with the deep green veins and pale outer leaf appearance. The picture shown is just about what the plant looks like minus the insects. Please reply as we just do not know what to do to save the plant.

  • bigdaddyj
    13 years ago

    Could be stunted by cold weather. Bugs most likely aphids.

  • digdirt2
    13 years ago

    So i am assuming the grower did the herbicide damage? Cause i didn't use any? What can i do to save them?

    No the "grower" doesn't use herbicides. If it is herbicide damage it is from drift from someone using it near you since they were planted. You'll need to investigate that possibility.

    Meanwhile, a severe infestation of aphids on your plants can cause similar damage, although not to this degree, so you need to determine IF the green bugs are aphids and if so, treat for them.

    I also see some chewed leaves which aphids don't do so there may be some other sort of pests there too - slugs maybe.

    The soil is manure, mushroom tilled in.

    Yeah that is pretty bad looking soil. Was this fresh manure (I see clumps) or really old or composted manure? Some of your problems could easily be related to that answer. If it was fresh stuff (which is never recommended) then you could have root burn. If it was old composted stuff then the nutrients may be depleted or at least not available to the plants. The plants may need to be fed with a diluted dose of one of the liquid fertilizers. Just no way to know for sure.

    Bottom line, you have some severely stressed plants and 'tomato leaf roll' (a well defined condition) is a reponse of the plant to stress. But they most likely can be saved IF you nail down the causes of the stress and remove it. They can outgrow herbicide damage if all the other problems are fixed for them.

    Hope this helps.

    Dave

    PS: snookst - your problem is most likely unrelated so it would be best if you started your own new post here. Include a picture if possible and tell us whether your plants are in the ground or in containers (since they are apparently so close together).