Tomato plant is dying

[arko_pl]

Hello,
I've planted a few tomato plants this year but they start dying. At the beginning leafs started to turn dark violet. I found information that this is lack of phosphorus I tried to feed my plant with organic fertilizer but it didn't help. Now plant looks like on attached photos.

On my second tomato plant small dark violet (or brown) dots started appear.

Does anyone know what's wrong with my plant?

Thank you in advance.

Best regards,
Arek

[valley]

Hi, Glad you posted, welcome. From what I can see, it looks like Septoria Leaf Spot. Looks like the plants are in the house. I'd like to hear what other members think. You might post closer pictures so the folks can see more clearly. Some of the information below may apply, but I'd wait for conformation before applying a spray.

Fact Sheet Page: 735.80 Date:12-1987

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION • NEW YORK STATE • CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Thomas A. Zitter, Department of Plant Pathology, Cornell University
Eliminating initial sources of inoculum can greatly reduce the exent of disease.

1. Because seed has been implicated as a source, make sure seed is acquired from disease-free seed-producing areas.

2. Make sure greenhouse production areas are free of susceptible weeds and the previous season's tomato crop debris. Practice good sanitation. If infected plants are found, rogue the seedlings before transplanting them to the field.

3. In the field, remove or destroy tomato debris by deep plowing immediately after harvest. A 1-year rotation out of tomato should be sufficient if no other sources of inoculum are available. Make sure perennial weed hosts such as horsenettle are eliminated before planting.

4. Resistance to Septoria leaf spot has been identified in several plant introduction lines. Currently no commercial varieties are resistant.

Fungicides

Most fungicides registered for use on tomatoes would effectively control Septoria leaf spot. These include maneb, mancozeb, chlorothalonil, and benomyl. Captan is not effective and zineb may be difficult to purchase. Refer to the most recent issue of Cornell Vegetable Recommends for registered products and follow label directions. Fungicides are normally applied on a 7-10 day schedule unless disease pressure is high. The first sprays are usually needed when early blight control begins (early to mid-July) unless infected transplants were used, in which case sprays are required during wet periods in June.

[rainbowgardener]

Wow... slow down a bit.

I'm not convinced that is septoria:


https://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/info/fil ... /12/27.jpg

Septoria would be circular spots on the undersides of leaves, starting with the oldest. The spots have dark margins and lighter centers.

Even if it is septoria, IME in my humid climate, tomatoes almost always develop some septoria before the end of the season. It is the most survivable of the tomato diseases. I just keep removing (and destroying, not in the compost) leaves that are showing symptoms. By late in the season, my plants may be pretty bare at the bottom, but they are still producing just fine.

Most of the common diseases of tomatoes are fungal and they can all be dealt with similarly: Keep your soil well mulched. Pull off the bottom leaves so that nothing touches the ground. Water the soil, don't water the leaves. Make sure you have plenty of air circulation (through spacing and pruning). Use fungicides preventatively.

Valley went straight to the big gun chemicals. I didn't look all those up, but mancozeb is a carbamate, that is it is in the same chemical class with Sevin and other carbamate insecticides. As such it can have toxic effects on humans and especially animals, including aquatic organisms if it makes its way into the water table. Organic fungicides would include Neem oil, Serenade, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda solution, diluted milk.

But again I'm not even convinced your tomato plants are diseased. They clearly are not "dying" and look overall pretty healthy. Tell us a little more. Are these plants indoors? What kind of potting mix are they in? How / how often have you been watering? How much sunlight are they getting? It is quite common for indoor tomatoes to show some purpling. You may be on the right track thinking about nutrient deficiencies. It looks like pretty small container, which means you have to work a lot harder on fertilizing. You have to water a small container pretty frequently, which flushes nutrients out of the soil mix. Where are you located?

[Juliuskitty]

This link has the best really sharp and close up pictures I have seen of diseases, and diagnoses.
https://www.wvu.edu/~agexten//ipm/factsh ... y_6_09.pdf

[hendi_alex]

Could be disease, could be wet feet. Hopefully the plant gets better sunlight than is shown in the photo. Tomatoes need at least half a day sunlight.

[valley]

You're right not a sunny location.

Maybe they'll be a closer picture up soon.

[arko_pl]

Thank you for all responses.
Tomatoes are on a terrace without a roof. Currently there is raining since yesterday but tomorrow weather should be better.
Maybe sunlight is the clue. The second plant is exposed to sun for more hours that the one on photo.
I use fertilizer for tomatoes soluble in water with following ingredients:
N - 11%
P2O5 - 11%
K2O - 35%
MgO - 2%

Currently I can't get better photos because of storm but I hope that tomorrow I'll get better photos for you.

[valley]

arko, Thanks for getting back to us. That they are on a terrace is good information. Alex and I were wondering if they were getting enough sun. I can't make out the first picture. The third picture is a bit fussy but it look like leaf spot, as I have seen it. applestar is not sure and may be researching or waiting for a clearer picture. The small vilolet or brown spots, you mentioned lead me in that direction and I think that's what I'm seeing in the third picture.

The dark dots you mentioned are Cankers and are caused by a bacterial infection and is infectious to pepper and tomato plants. I would treat this or remove the plants.

Unless more and/or better information is posted very soon, I would take care of this as above.

I wish I have better news arco. Let's see what posts we get, but tell us what you do in ether case. Thanks

Richard

[arko_pl]

Hello,
I've taken better pics today.

This is the dying one:

and this is the second one:

[imafan26]

I see black angular spots on some leaves and most of the leaves top to bottom look like the black rot starts along the leaf margins. The one leaf with the purple tinge doesn't really look like a nutritional problem.

I suspect a fungal or bacterial problem that is affecting the vascular system of the plant and that is why the leaf edges are the first to turn black.

What did you use for the soil?

If you had this problem before, did you reuse the soil? Fungal and bacterial pathogens can survive on plant debris, seed, and soil. If you have plants that have a fungal death, it is best to sterilize the soil or better yet, throw it out and start with new soil. The containers should be cleaned with bleach and I stick them out in the sun for a month on top of that to get them UV irradiated.

If you are using the same set of seeds, I would start with fresh seeds because some of the diseases can be transmitted by infected seeds.

Phosphorus deficiency usually shows up on young plants, but all of the leaves and stem have a purplish tinge. It usually corrects quickly mostly by potting up. Phosphorus does not move that well in the soil, so I usually use a water soluble fertilizer for quick fixes.

[valley]

Hi arco, That plant doesn't look as bad as I thought. I don't see wilt. What imafan said sound right.

I think I might try to save it, up potting like mentioned above in good soil. I'd cut off the worst leaves.

I just reread your last post, so there are two plants!!!!!!!!!!

If you've no other plants to contaminate, up plant them both and see how they respond. Shade them a bit,at first, after up potting. You don't have to take all the soil from the roots but you can still look at some of the root, specially the worst plant. See if the root look healthy, if they fall apart or are slimy, if there are pests on the roots.

If the plant you say is dying has the, dark dots you described, like I imagine I see in the third picture of your first post, trash or burn it.

What do think guys and gals?

Please tell us what you do, and most important, tell us the out come.

Richard