really weird tomato disease?

[zxcvbob]

One of my tomatoes has something really odd going on at the growing point of the main stem. The stem is not elongating at all, and the leaves and flower buds are just piling up and getting denser and denser. Is there a virus that causes something like this, or perhaps scar tissue from some mechanical damage or an insect sting?

I wish I had a place to post a picture.

Should I cut the top off the plant (and destroy it) and let the lower part of the plant branch back out?

All the leaves are a healthy green, and the lower leaves on the plant look normal. The plant has only been in the ground for a few weeks, and the night temperatures were dropping into the 40's at night lasst week.

Thanks, regards, Bob

[Katra]

That sounds more like a soil problem than a disease???

Just MHO!

K.

[Pat Kiewicz]

The only thing I can think of that might cause seriously distorted growth like that is herbicide damage.

From one website: " Herbicide Injury The most common sources of herbicide damage are spray drift, herbicide residue in sprayers and mulching with grass clippings that are contaminated by herbicides. Spray drift has been known to occur up to a half mile from the source in agricultural fields. Heavy applications of any herbicide simply kills the tomato plants. The early signs of light 2, 4-D type damage is older leaves that are excessively pointed and rolled. They may have prominent, light-colored veins. Distorted younger growth will fail to expand fully and the tissue will be thickened. The veins appear to run more parallel to the main vein than is normal. Stems may curve unnaturally and have a flattened, ridged appearance. If the damage is slight the plants may outgrow it and still produce good fruit, though yield may be affected. If the damage is severe, the plant may not recover."

I think it would be worth a try.

[zxcvbob]

It doesn't quite look like 2,4-D drift, and I haven't used any 2,4-D (or any other broadleaf herbicides) this year. I've barely used any Round-up this year. I use a little Round-up around the perimeter of the garden to keep back aggressive perennial grasses from the lawn, and other than that I just pull the weeds or use a hoe.

I think I'll prune it back and give it a tonic of fish emulsion and see what happens. The weather is finally warmed up and the peppers and other tomatoes have just started really growing in the past few days.

I'm gonna check with my ISP and see if I have some server space that I don't know about, where I can post a pic.

Bob

[Norma J. Briggs]

[zxcvbob]

Not a great picture, but here it is:

regards, Bob

Norma J. Briggs wrote:

[Bob S.]

Plants can get screwed-up DNA genes just like animals and people. I'd guess that's what happened.

Bob S.

[zxcvbob]

I cut it off today, along with about 3 or 4 inches of healthy growth. On examination, I think it was a flower bud gone berzerk (cancerous).

Bob