Early Season Tomato Leaf Symptoms
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Once tomatoes are over their initial transplant shock and begin to push out new growth, growers often breathe a sigh of relief. Most growers got their plants in later than they would have liked but finally, whether inside a tunnel or out in the field, the plants are really taking off.
Tunnel grown tomatoes get more attention from growers than field grown but it’s always a good idea to pay close attention to all your crops in an effort to catch problems early on. Here are a few leaf symptoms that may catch your eye this month. Remember you can call on any of us in the Eastern NY program to help you diagnose what’s going on.
Leaf Roll (photo A) has a dramatic look and comes on suddenly, causing quite a shock to many growers. Luckily it’s a physiological response to stress and the plants should grow out of it. It occurs most commonly the day after a heavy pruning in tunnels. If the soil is dry when you do the pruning, the stress will be even greater. Try to get into the habit of pruning a little bit every week, rather than one big pruning job less often. Sometimes it can’t be helped so make sure your plants have a good soaking and let them grow out of it.
Virus-like symptoms (photo B) are more subtle but very distinctive. Where leaf roll is usually a lengthwise curling of full-sized leaves, the various virus diseases cause cupping, oddly scalloped and cut, and odd color patterns on the leaves. This photo shows one example of what a virus can do to leaves, there are other variations but there is a similar oddity to them that makes them distinctively viral.
Magnesium deficiency (photo C) can be startling but this is not an issue. It starts on the lowest leaves and works up the plant very gradually. It first appears when the first fruit clusters begin sizing up and as long as basic nutrient needs are being met, it is not a concern. Tunnel grown tomatoes push out vigorous growth and can become deficient more quickly than field grown. A foliar sample will give you much more accurate information. Epsom salts and sul-po-mag are some sources of supplemental magnesium.
Leaf Roll (pdf; 442KB)
![more crops](images/more_crops_left_sm.gif)
![more crops](images/more_crops_right_sm,.gif)
Upcoming Events
ENY Orchard Soil Health and Beneficial Fungi Meeting
August 15, 2024 : ENY Orchard Soil Health and Beneficial Fungi Meeting
Peru, NY
Join the members of CCE ENYCHP and the Cornell Soil Health Program for a field meeting on the basics of soil health, the potential benefits of mycorrhizal fungi, and an update on the current project status of our SARE grant on orchard mycorrhizal products.
This meeting is intended for farmworkers, young and beginning orchardists, and experienced orchard managers wanting to learn about the basics of soil health and mycorrhizal fungi within the orchard.
North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
![Event Offers DEC Credits](../images/dec_credits.gif)
August 19, 2024 : North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
Plattsburgh, NY
North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
Monday, August 19th 4-7 pm (rain or shine)
2172 Military Turnpike, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
$10 per farm
Join us for a tour of North Point Community Farm, a diversified vegetable, berry, and flower operation in the North Country. Farmers Marisa and Mike will give us an overview of their decision-making as they expand their business, increasing their high tunnel production, investing in new tillage equipment, and transforming an old dairy barn into an efficient wash-pack shed with food safety in mind. We'll end the evening with local food refreshments and an opportunity to network with growers from NY and VT.
DEC credits: 1.5 credits in categories 1A, 10, 23
Late Summer Orchard Meeting
![Event Offers DEC Credits](../images/dec_credits.gif)
August 21, 2024
Fonda, NY
Join us for our last get together of the summer before we're in the thick of harvest. At this meeting, we will tour Sand Flats Orchard with manager Mitch Hoffman, and we will then discuss late season pest management tasks with our experts from the HVRL and Cornell AgriTech.
DEC Credits: 1.5 credits in categories 1A, 10, and 22.