Yikes! Scary looking tomato leaves!

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I gave my daughter a Harvest and two of my tomato pods.  She planted one on February 6 along with a Genovese Basil.  Her lower tomato plant leaves have started looking really funky, having started with some yellow spots, but then she took those leaves off and discovered some really weird looking stuff going on with those and some more.  Undersides have turned purple, there are the spots, and now also what she described as pustules forming.  She sent me 8 photos, the last one being her plant after removing these weird leaves.  But as normal as the plant appears in photo, she's suspecting it may be infected with whatever these leaves show.  I'm posting on her behalf because she's stuck in a project with a deadline but she will join the forum when she gets that behind her.  In the meantime, however, these photos look alarming to me.  I've been on google/images (search term "hydroponic tomato deseases") and I don't see anything like this.  Hopefully someone here might have an idea what is causing this. 

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Sorry, I forgot the one of the plant.  She shot it from above, when I can reach her if it would be helpful, I will ask her to photo it from the side which would show that view since the leaves were taken off the bottom (she described it as "first layer of leaves").

[ERR0R1755]

I've had similar issues on my tomato plants (and other plants) before, so to me that looks like edema.

Were those leaves overlapping other leaves, being overlapped by other leaves, or too close to the lights? I've noticed that it especially seems to happen on my tomato and pepper plants when condensation builds up in between leaves.

I'm not sure what would cause the purple though, unless that's just what happens to the leaf after it has had edema for an extended period of time, so it could be that the tomato plant has something different causing those bumps, or a combination of issues.

Here is (someone else's) photo of edema on their tomato plant:

[hakaku]

With tomatoes, purple leaves are generally a sign of nutrient deficiency, and more specifically phosphorous deficiency. I would suggest either increasing the amount of nutrients given to the plant (by a bit) or increasing the feed cycle (e.g. once a week instead of every two weeks).

As for the leaf swellings, I agree with ERR0R1755 that it's edema caused by condensation. Another term you might read online is "intumescence". Having a fan blowing on the plant can help reduce the condensation buildup.

[Shawn]

I can not tell but are the leaves wet there?  Maybe condensation?  May need some circulation.  I know my tomatoes and peppers get strange.  I just shake, thin and use a small fan for a bit and that helps.

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Thanks ALL! 

ERR0R1755, thanks for the photo, it sure looks suspiciously similar.  Couldn't be too much light, the lower/bottom leaves are what had this condition.

hakaku, I sent her your reply too.

Shawn, ditto!

My own question -- I THINK that she's just done an R&R -- I sent her step by step instructions.  If she just added 8ml of nutrients, would she be safe to add another 1ml or should she add 2ml or ? 

I'm so sorry I can't be more specific, poor girl is caught in this deadline so this was bad timing, she being even more of a newbie than I am.  I appreciate your help!! 

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Ooookay, she thinks edema fits the scenario.  When the affected leaves were doing their growth thing, they had the AG covered because of the bright light.  That would create a tented effect (condensation could come from that).  Their house is kept on the chilly side (that would make for warm in the tent, chilly outside the tent).  And she said that her leaves have often had a little condensation on them.  

Next, when she did her 2-week feeding on the 20th, she only used 6ml since she'd gotten that leaf burn.  She hasn't added any nutes to that since.  She's due for the R&R tomorrow. I suggested she try her darndest to do it today and use 8ml in the new water.

But there we go, two things that fit edema quite handily -- condensation and surely needing nutrients. 

BINGO!!

Thank you all again!!!

[airscapes]

edema occurs when the plant does not have enough air motion to evaporate all the water the roots are absorbing.  Adding a fan can help prevent this.  I have this issue every year when growing indoors before moving them outside.  Hot lights near the plant are good as they like the heat and the light but they also end up with edema.  I wish I could find the photos I know I took but that may have been the year my sd card in the phone at the time failed and I lost all photos. As the photos show, the plant cells swell like little blisters and the cell walls burst as they can not hold all that water, then the area turns brown and the leaf will eventually die.  Soon as the plats are moved outside or a nice fan is added indoors they keep right on growing with no issues at all. 
Hope that helps.  A quick google with the words  edema tomato indoor will return all you need to know.. click image for lots of pictures of the condition. 

Hope that helps

Doug 

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Thank you Doug. Once edema was mentioned, I had something to Google and did see stuff on it. It's good to have confirmation about the fan but my only concern there is that their house is cool, a fan would add cold air but I will definitely mention to her the idea of a warm light and maybe in conjunction with something like a computer fan, that could make a nice little setup. Great idea, thank you.🙂