Those bumps are actually places where the vine is willing to grow new roots. They are normal.

As for the plant not looking so well, are you in the area that has been cool and soggy for so long?

Is it a container plant or in the ground?

I am in Pa. and these plants have been in the ground since May 1. It has been a little wet this month buy not that bad, not that cool either. It's just strange that only 2 of the plants have these white bumps going up a few inches from the base and the other 14 do not.

I just went and bought a tomato plant today, has the same thing. I just planted it a bit deeper to cover those areas, they are roots, or will be=)

We may be talking about different things. The brownish nubs/bumps are roots to be.

Are you meaning those, or are you talking about the very fine white stuff that looks like someone sprinkled sugar on the plants stems, yes? I think we're all looking at the main stem, instead of the side stems where the white stuff is.

The leaves look more than wilty, they look like they are dying, with curled leaf edges. I haven't a clue as to either of these, unfortunately, just was trying to see if we were all talking about the same things.

It's kinda far up to be growing roots?

It's kinda far up to be growing roots?

Tomato plants like all members of that family have what are called adventitious roots (you can Google that term to see photos) that can develop all along the length of the stem. That is what the small bumps are. Perfectly normal but more pronounced in some varieties and more pronounced in wet humid environments. Contact with the soil is not required but if there is soil contact they will develop into full blown roots.

There is also a flat brown scabbed injury on your stem photo and the clear crystalized sparkles are just the fine hairs normal on all surfaces of the plant.

However the leaves in the photo - they are dead and a source of stress or possible disease and need to be removed from the plant. Can't say what cased that problem - could just be plant age as plants normally die from the bottom up.

Dave