No it definitely isn't a normal leaf. Was it trapped in that black plastic netting? But the whole plant doesn't appear normal either. It is bare. Where are all the rest of the leaves and it has very long internode lengths - leggy growth? How much sun is it getting?

Dave

It is getting full sun 1mile east of the beach in south florida. It wasnt caught in the bird netting. I had to net all my tomotato plants as the mockingbirds and starlings were taste testing them. It is an indeterminate variety, But one I have never grown before. I have changed to mostly heirloom varieties this year and this is an heirloom. If you look at this picture you can see how tall the thing is.

Yeah I am familiar with German Queen. I have grown it many times so I know what it should look like. Your plant has obviously been aggressively pruned so the abnormal appearance of the plant could be attributed to the stress of all that pruning I guess.

But usually when one sees such long internode lengths and such minimal leaf development it is due to insufficient sun and/or low nutrient levels. So the deformed leaf in the first photo isn't the primary problem with the plant.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:78114}}

Dave,

I have not pruned it. Only removed suckers. I did a little research on Pinterest and it may have Curly leaf disease or I have over-watered her thinking leaves were curling due to heat. Will hold back water and see what happens. I have a moisture meter so will keep an eye on it. The curly leaf disease is caused by a leaf hopper.. Need to spray garden with spinosad as well and see what happens.Thanks so much!

Not familiar with the variety, but I agree with Dave in that it doesn't have near enough foliage. I grew some Brandywines one time and noticed that sucker pinching probably isn't necessary.

I don't have any cures for your problem, but there are a couple things I'd like to comment on.

Container size -- I wouldn't even try a DETERMINATE in a bucket, let alone an INDETERMINATE. Half barrel minimum imo.

Your container sitting on that hot concrete. Might want to prop it up off of it. All that heat gets transferred to the soil in the bucket. Yes, tomatoes love the warmth, but not TOO warm.

Spinosad -- although it's OMRI listed, it's rather broad spectrum and kills predatory bugs too. Leaving one with a bigger problem than the initial one.

Good luck.

Kevin

With the cupping of the leaflets, my first thought was that weed killer had been used somewhere nearby. Is that possible?

It might help us if we see other leaves.

I just moved back from the cow country near Lake O where we grew huge amounts of pepper and indeterminate tomatoes in 5gal buckets. I use an organic soil that drains very well, Jobes Organic Heirloom tomato and vegetable food (mainly contains chicken poop), provide them with crushed free range organic egg shells, a light dose monthly of epsom salts, and Burpee's Sea magic, seaweed liquid fertilizer. I fertilize very lightly weekly and alternate between liquid and Jobes. NO weed killer in area. All neighbors know it is a no spray zone. Plants have only been in the pots since mid april. I hand pick most bugs and use insecticidal soap or herb tea spray first. Have not used spinosad yet as have not really needed to. Taking an organic garden class at the local Extension office on Saturday as a means to work my way up to the very competitive (here it is) master gardener class. Will show picks to master gardener and see what she says. This is the ONLY tomato out of 11 indeterminate heirlooms showing this. And all planted and treated the same.

I also have a German Queen with leaf curl. Mine is a dense plant with tons of leaves (I've never pruned anything from it,) in a 6x6x12" bed with only one other plant (Pantano Romanesco, which does have this problem so I doubt it's herbicide drift.) This variety might just be really moisture sensitive- we've had scorching hot days followed by cooler overcast days, late Santa Ana winds, back to cooler days only to have over 100 days right after with no moderate days in between. It's been a tough year to keep soil moisture consistent. So far I'm chalking it up to being a high maintenance/ sensitive plant.

Another 10b gardener here (a mile from another ocean), with a suspicion that anything "German" acts weird when it meets the warmer/wetter regions.

(My should-have-been-a-Riesentraube has only set 3 fruit, dropping dozens and dozens of flowers, but is growing a healthy beefsteak style fruit. Weird.)

You folks are awesome. Thanks for all your help. I am worried it is early blight, but hopefully will find out Saturday. I have 10 other plants of different variety tomato and none have same signs. It is horribly hot here in PB Cty already! I am already reviewing the yard layout to get a shade sail to help protect my garden from what is obviously going to be an Indian summer. I do not want to raise pots up on bricks because that may just help create an oven under them. My space is obviously limited so I am going to try to put multiple layers of clean cardboard under the pots to help insulate. It is worth a try. A little red neck never hurts! :-)

I have not pruned it. Only removed suckers.

Removing suckers IS pruning. Why have you removed all the suckers?

And there is no Early Blight and no TLCV symptoms in any of your photos.

"Curly Top" is a group of diseases each with different causes and symptoms. Only one is carried by the leafhopper and several are carried by whiteflies and/or aphids. In most cases the plants die quickly but only after showing the characteristic purpling of the veins and bronzing of the leaves. The majority of the curling is in the stems, not the leaves, and when the leaves curl it is the "taco shell" curl that develops.

Texas Z&M: What Makes Tomato Leaves Twist or Curl? a site that is a bit more reliable than Pinterest ever could be.

Please quit focusing on the one leaf - it is no big deal - and focus on saving the plant as a whole. It is heavily stressed for many reasons including all the aggressive pruning and is suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

Please do not start blanket spraying everything with Spinosad. Even if the plant did have CTV from leaf hoppers it is too late to spray for them now. So if you believe that is the case dispose of the plant.

Dave, (who as many here already know) has a degree in horticulture, has been a Master Gardener for decades, and has been in the nursery business for over 50 years.

Here is a link that might be useful: TYLCV

Putting bricks under the containers will increase the airflow under them... it won't create an oven. The cardboard may insulate a bit, but it won't help create any airflow at all which is what will really help cool the containers.

Digdirt. Thank you. I DO believe I have a leaf curl virus. Living where I DO, Whitefly is rampant. And they transfer it. I was so happy to be back in my EXTREMELY urban place that I rapidly threw my garden together. I AM NOT a master gardener. Tis why I am here seeking advice. I left behind a wonderful hoop house that I built with a grumpy cowboy. Hoop house was extremely productive. I love to grow my own food, and am currently growing over 52 items in a small space. I gave myself a gardener's elbow (don't play tennis) doing this. So a re-configure, that is needed will really be painful. I am here for advice, if you wish to help me re-configure. I would appreciate it. But I think we are ALL in for an incredibly hot summer NO MATTER where we live and are going to have to adjust how we grow to be able to harvest......Spoiled. If I want a salad, I want to go out back and cut swiss chard, leaf lettuce, baby kale, baby spinach, radishes, strawberries, cucumbers, and maters, with peas and green beans thrown in. AND I CAN. So, I am not doing that bad. :-) The mulched area I am working with is only 11 1/2' x 14. The rest is patio, or dog zone......

We'd all like to help you Andrea but it isn't possible to do when you just dispute all the suggestions made:

- the aggressive pruning, the 5 gallon buckets, the mixture used, the pesticide, getting it off the pavement and up on bricks or boards, the disease symptoms (first it is TYLCV caused by leaf hoppers and then by whiteflies and then it is Early Blight), the amount of sun it is getting, the watering, fertilizing, etc.

A lot of food can be grown in a 12x14' plot but some major methodology changes would need to be made and that requires an open mind to the suggestions made.

Good luck with your plant.

Dave

Is there a lot of salt in the air their? It looks like how trees grow on the coast.

It could be the salt in the air. I am keeping a journal and complete list of my garden so I will not replant what has issues and doesn't do well. I did find an infestation of whitefly (but not on the German queen) and used un-adultered Ivory soap and water. Thankfully it rained later in the night so it saved me from washing the soap off in the morning so the hot sun wouldnt burn the leaves. I have found that even a weak solution of baking soda can cause burn with the hot sun. Will have to spray all shrubs this weekend with soap to help knock them out. Waiting on my blooming dill plants to fill up with ladybug larvae to help fight them.