It looks almost like tiny white sesame seeds all clumped together.

What comes to mind is an aphid infestation. Check out the photos in the link below and see if they look familiar. If so there are many possible controls for them ranging from just blasting them off with a stream of water to using a vegetable dust or spray. (For future ref: if it is aphids keep in mind that they are attracted to plants with excess nitrogen fertilizers.)

Also check out a thread called Tomato Problem Solver 2 over on the Tomato Pests & Diseases forum as it contains many links to additional photos and diagnostic tools.

Yellow leaves with brown spots.. the stems is all knotty and growing almost is a spiral (!!)

This part of your description could be many things but sounds suspiciously like a disease process tho they tend to be less common in container plants. The Problem Solver 2 thread will also link you to some disease photos to check.

Otherwise, if you can post a photo here it will be easier to be sure what the problems are.

I wish you good luck with your tomatoes. ;)

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Aphids on Tomato

Thanks Dave. I took pics of the leaves, the "white stuff" and a section of the stem. Hopefully this will help:

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That's a good one. It looks to me like some sort of scale perhaps. I was thinking whiteflies at first, but they aren't.

Your big problem is timing. Best time to plant them here is late January (and watch for frosts ) or just about now or a few weeks earlier to harvest before freezes. Too many problems in the middle of the summer. I don't find them easy to grow at all here.

Rick

Springrollz, that sure is a big-time infestation. Looks like mealybug to me but you can always run it by an extension office. We also have a nightmare mealybug down here called Pink Hybiscus Mealybug (many, many host plants)but that looks like the 'regular, garden-variety' type easily controlled. We have a govt program that released beneficial wasps to control PHM--hopefully you don't have it on the Tampa side.

Just google Tampa Cooperative Extension offices and several locations come up.

I would try and blast them off with a hose--if you can't get them all maybe try Safer Insecticidal Soap. If it really is bad just put a plastic bag over the whole plant and pitch it. Then start all over again. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Mealybug

I called the Hillsborough office and asked them when to plant tomatoes.

They said Sept. IF you are will to protect them if it gets cold during the winter. Really cold temps would negatively effect flavor so you might want to bundle them up with blankets. Otherwise Feb./Mar. but try and have them harvested before hot summer temps arrive.

Thank you guys for all the great information. I think I'm just going to bag them up and pitch them. I was so excited to have the little yellow pears, but these plants look so bad, it's embarassing...lol I have a packet of seeds. I think I'll try to plant a few. The past several years, we have stayed above freezing the entire winter and if we do get some low temps, it won't be until around February and they'll be well established and I'll move them inside overnight.
I really appreciate all your help and if you're in the Tampa area this fall, stop by for some herb plants. They are doing GREAT :-)

Robin