[oldcow]

I grow my tomatoes outdoors in large pots. The plants have not been growing well as the previous years, and now I noticed that all the new growth is deformed (the leaves and stems look like corkscrew). The first tomatoes to set looked fine, but the new ones that are setting now are long and thin instead of the usual "pea shape".
To me, it looks a lot like the pictures of aminopyralid damage. I did use manure - bought from a local company that allegedly sells it to RHS Wisley too.
What should I do? Will tomatoes be OK to eat? If it is actually aminopyralid, is this a legal substance that should still be around???

[Lesleyk]

Sorry not to have an answer but I do have a question - my tomatoes are also deformed - the stems have become fused - at first I thought I had missed some side shoots, but even so isn't it a bit odd for them to get "stuck" to the main stems so that the two become one - twisted (like a curly wurly).  Could this be a similar problem? 

[Silkworm]

I have a simular problem with the stems and leaves my Gardeners Delight but the fruits are ok.
I am growing mine in greenhouse house in grow bags.
What variety are you growing?

Silky
 

[oldcow]

Gardener's Delight, Sungold, Marmande, Tigerella, Ailsa Craig. All showing similar problems.

[oldcow]

Lesleyk, my Marmande tomatoes do that every year - the stem always "splits" in two. I thought I had missed the side shoot, but now since it happens every year I just think some varieties do that. It doesn't happen to any of the other varieties I grow.

[Headgardener22]

Its not unusual, particularly on Heritage varieties and even more so on Beefsteak. Where it doesn't split before the flower stem, you can get what are called "megablooms" which are effectively multiple flowers fusing tohether giving multiple tomatoes fused together and so you can get very big tomatoes.

I know that megablooms are caused by cold temperatures when the plants are growing so I guess that the fused stems are caused by the same issue.

[Lesleyk]

Lesleyk, my Marmande tomatoes do that every year - the stem always "splits" in two. I thought I had missed the side shoot, but now since it happens every year I just think some varieties do that. It doesn't happen to any of the other varieties I grow.

I'm growing Gardeners Delight which I do every year, in the greenhouse (no chance of outdoor growing up here, although the recent hot weather might have tempted me .....),and I have never had this fused, twisted stem before.  The trusses seem to be forming OK (again I'm behind a lot of you in that due to the northern latitude, so that's no surprise), so I guess the deformity isn't doing any harm, but I'd love to know what has caused it.  The fruits that have formed have not fused, it's just the stems 

[mumofstig]

When the stem looks as if it's 2 stems fused together it is called fasciation, and often happens in tomatoes, specially the beefsteak ones, something to do with their genetics, but can be caused by damage, or insect attack.

If it is only the stem, then the plant should still fruit ok, but if the damage is in the truss - then it may be a problem 

[Lesleyk]

When the stem looks as if it's 2 stems fused together it is called fasciation, and often happens in tomatoes, specially the beefsteak ones, something to do with their genetics, but can be caused by damage, or insect attack.

If it is only the stem, then the plant should still fruit ok, but if the damage is in the truss - then it may be a problem 

Thanks for that - it's fascinating stuff and something I've never come across before.  I think the fruits will be fine (at least so far).