Green on the outside. Brown in the inside.

[springerrr]

Hi,

Please feel free to link me if this question has been addressed before. For the past two years our tomato plants have shown a similar pathology. The plants start off great, but as they mature, the leaves die in the core of the plant. Interestingly, the plant continues to put out tomatoes even in the 'dead zone. Here is a picture.

Could someone tell me what might help this year?

Thanks!!

[rainbowgardener]

It is some kind of disease. I'm not expert enough to identify which one from a picture like that. That is kind of late stage in the disease and after awhile, the different diseases end up looking a lot the same.

But most of the common diseases of tomatoes, blights, wilts etc are all fungi and as such have basically the same treatments.

Start with prevention. Once the plant has leaves higher up, cut off all the bottom leaves so that nothing touches the soil. Mulch well to help create a barrier between the soil and the plant. Only water the ground, not the plant. Give your tomatoes plenty of space and do a little pruning for good air circulation.

Make a milk solution of 1/4 milk and 3/4 water. Let it stand at room temperature for a few hours to develop cultures (I sometimes throw in a spoonful of yoghurt with active cultures, just to increase the lactobacillus). Then spray it on the plant covering all the leaf surfaces including undersides. This can be used as a treatment (if you already have visible disease, increase the milk concentration to 50%), but it is most effective preventively.

[springerrr]

I do none of this things, but I will start!!

[rainbowgardener]

Couple more things. Since you have been having disease problems, be sure you plant your tomatoes in a different spot this year. The fungi can over winter in you soil. And monitor closely, remove diseased leaves when they appear, to help prevent spread.

Keep us posted how it goes for you this year!