Tomato problems - please help!

Hello,

I've got some mysteriously puny tomato plants, and I can't seem to solve the problem. Here are the facts.

I'm in central Florida, where winters are mild and these plants have seen no temperatures below 42 degrees, with mostly sunny days in the 70's.

I've got a total of 4 Romas, 2 Early Girls, and 1 Better Boy.

The problem is with 2 of the Romas (in one large planter) and the Early Girls (in one large planter). I'll call these the sick plants.

All planted about the same time, in the same off-the-shelf, higher grade potting soil.

All in full, all-day sun.

Two soil Ph testers show all soil between 6 and 7.

Have used 1/2 strength Miracle Grow tomato fert once on each, except for the healthy ones which have also gotten it full strength every other week.

The sick plants thrived originally, but started to yellow and haven't grown in about three weeks. I tried a Kocide application (on ALL plants) to control what looks like fungus or mold on leaves, waited a few days, then applied a pyrethrum-based insecticide (which I've had very good success with in the past on the Florida insect attacks that will start in a couple of months). Also applied iron treatment one week ago.

No improvement in past week, just continued yellowing.

Pictures below. Diagnosis? Suggestions?

Sick Early Girl

Sick Roma

Healthy Roma

Healthy Better Boy

Container garden, showing location of plants. Sick Early Girls are in first barrel (from left), sick Romas in 2nd barrel, health Romas in next 2 rear boxes, healthy Better Boy in 3rd rear box.

eileen wrote:

Hi there Joe lovely to have you here with us. Very Happy

I think Toni may have hit on the problem by asking what used to be in the barrels as it could certainly be the cause of the problems you're having. Or, did you line them with plastic and, if so, did you punch enough drainage holes in it to let water drain away freely? I think I'd try to transplant some of the sick plants into other containers and see how they do. Maybe cut back on the half strength miracle grow too and only give it every other week.
Let us know how things work out for you won't you?

They've only been given the 1/2 strength fert one time.

I've thought long and hard about what those barrels could possibly be doing, but I can't come up with anything. The barrels used to contain fig trees which outgrew them and have been re-planted. I can't recall ever treating those trees with any sort of chemical other than occasional fertilizer watered in (and that would have been just a regular strength 20-20-20). They are old oak whiskey barrels sold as planters I bought a couple of years ago at Lowes. They are not lined, and drain quite well.