Are you sure the compost didn't dry out? In really hot weather it might be better to water every day. Not sure about the mister - could it have encouraged mildew?

Thanks.
Not sure about the misting system as it had been doing great and then all of a sudden.....
It gets so hot here sometimes over 112 so I want to try to keep my plants misted so they keep cool. With this system on 2-4 hours daily I do not have to deep water as often.

How do you survive those temperatures?

Desertgal, I sympathise! If any of the mist was touching the the plants, our salty hard water would have done considerable damage to them. Also, if the lattice wasn't dense enough to cut out at least 50% of the sun, or wide enough to give shade until at least 4:00 pm, the sun was a willing accomplice to this assault. I would try moving it to an eastern exposure, and feeding it lightly. Hopefully, it will start to sprout out, and give a decent crop this fall.
Steragram, we drink lots of water, garden early in the morning, keep to the shade, and scurry inside to the air conditioning or evaporative cooling around 10:00 am!!
: D

I finally got an answer from the University. They have determined that the problem was white flies. I did the right thing by rinsing off the leaves with the hose. Also the misting is not a problem and it is good for the plant. As for moving it to the East side of the house that really does not work either as I lost 3 of my other tomato plants there. The leaves got dry also and it died. I do not have a yard since I live in a condo and only have the rear patio and the front (east) is a very limited space.
The temps are not that bad as long as we don't get humidity. You do all your outdoor chores in the morning and take a siesta about 1pm and wait for the sun to set before going out again.