GideonNav
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Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2020 5:39 pm

Dark yellow specks on tomato fruits--bacterial speck?

Hi all,

Was out in the garden this morning and noticed some dark yellow specks on some cherry tomatoes, and I'm hoping someone will be able to tell me if I've got a bacterial/other infection going on with my tomatoes, and how I can fix it. The specks aren't super visible, so I hope this picture shows them clearly enough:
IMG_20200712_114905944~2.jpg
It's only on a couple newer ones (out of ~40) so I hope I can fix whatever the issue is before it spreads. I've also noticed some yellowing of new growth and leaf curling/thickening on quite a few leaves (not just old ones), and I wonder if that's related. Does this look like it could be a bacterial/viral infection that I could treat somehow?

Also want to note that we're having a massive heat wave right now so my tomatoes aren't doing so hot (haha) right now anyways, which I'm sure isn't helping!

Thanks so much,

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applestar
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Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Where are you located? No those look like where stinkbugs had been sucking on them. Have you seen any?

GideonNav
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Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2020 5:39 pm

Oh I think I have seen some, thanks for this! Not on my tomato fruits, but by some other veg a couple feet away. Do you think it could be them? ...I will admit I've been having trouble keeping 'good bugs' in and 'bad bugs' out in general--all the insecticides/etc are so intimidating that I've just been using homemade dishsoap spray when necessary, but it doesn't seem to be enough. And I'm up in Zone 5/6, Toronto Canada.

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I think is been hot enough there that you would be getting a wave of them invading.

Stinkbugs (adults) are not very susceptible to pesticides — I think it’s best to patrol just after sunrise when they are sleepy and slow and try to catch them/thin the population. Carry around a cup of soapy water to drop them in. I have also been known to snatch-drop (on ground)-and-stomp. :twisted:

Stinkbugs will prefer beans if you can sacrifice some as trap crop.

Only other option I know of is to provide a net cover or tunnel for your plants. Not sure if bagging the individual fruits will help unless solid like paper (I have heard best for fruits in general is dry waxed pastry bags) ... although I have had some success using drawstring organdy gift bags to protect clusters of blackberries.

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Gary350
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Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

Applestar is right stink bugs can make those tomato spots they poke holes in tomatoes. Blight will also cause spots but your picture looks like stink bug spots. I usually have stink bugs on my tomato plants every year but not this year. Only thing I am doing different this year is spraying baking soda water on tomato plants for blight. I read online most bugs do not like 8PH baking soda it drives them away. I also learned to fill an old sock with wood ash then shake it over tomato plants to dust the plants and tomatoes that stops blight too & bugs are gone too but wood ash does not stick tight like wet baking soda water. I also learned after picking tomatoes dust them with wood ash if they have blight tomatoes will not rot setting in the kitchen for 2 days. Stink bug spots make tomatoes rot too you need to eat them soon or cook them, refrigerator will slow rot down 2 extra days. If you want to try baking soda spray, mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of dish soap with 1 gallon of water then spray plants about every 4 to 5 days. If rain washes baking soda off spray again.



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