Anna23
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:50 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA, Zone 7b

Tomato leaves curling, wilting & spots

Hi everyone! I could use some help with understanding what’s wrong with my tomato plant.
I’m growing super sweet 100 in a 10 gallon fabric pot. I water 4-5 times a week as needed. Also I spray copper and Neem oil weekly and Monterey complete disease control twice a week as a preventive.

I’ve struggled a lot with diseases and pests due to my climate (Atlanta, GA. hot, humid and rains 1-2 weekly), so feeling a little paranoid.

The lower leaves are wilting and curling up + black spots on lower leaves. The plant as a whole is weak, flimsy and looks a little sad honestly.
I made the mistake of pruning it excessively in the beginning and it suffered due to that. But it grew back eventually and that gave me hope, but now something else is wrong with it.
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WhatsApp Image 2022-06-18 at 11.37.46 PM.jpeg
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imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13992
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I see what looks like snow scale on the leaves. and the brown patches look like it may be a secondary infection. How hot has it been? If you do not have a heat resistant tomato it may have some physiological leaf curl. It is also in what looks to be a fabric pot which can dry out very fast so double pot it to slow down the evaporation. Mulching may help as well. Check the soil a couple of times a day. It may need more watering. If you live where it is really hot, consider moving the pot to a place that gets shade in the afternoon or keeping the plant under 35% shade cloth. Cut off the leaves with the scale and the brown spots. Carefully bag and dispose of them in the trash. Check the other leaves for pests. Identify and treat them if appropriate.

Try not to water overhead, especially late in the day. Bacterial and fungal diseases need to be controlled early or use preventive fungicides. If bacterial and fungal diseases are a common problem, consider looking for a resistant variety.

If it gets extremely hot in your area, consider choosing a site with afternoon shade, shade cloth, and choosing a heat resistant variety that is suitable for your area. Plant earlier or later if you can to avoid having to grow tomatoes through the hottest months of the year.

Try growing tomatoes bred for the South and for heat like Arkansas Traveller, Super Sioux, Creole, Cherokee Purple, Heatmaster II, Big Beef, Bella Rosa, Homestead 24, cherry tomatoes., and the heat resistant tomatoes developed in Florida Solar fire, Florida 91, and Sun Chaser.

It would help if you edited your user profile to include your location and zone.

https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7408.html
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/toma ... disorders/
https://www.vegetables.cornell.edu/pest ... varieties/
https://bonnieplants.com/blogs/garden-f ... t-weather/

Anna23
Newly Registered
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2021 6:50 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA, Zone 7b

Thanks for the reply! It gives me some clarity and I appreciate the help.

It has been hot here, usually between 93F - 100F. I check soil daily for moisture but I'll start checking twice a day. I have mulched from the beginning, but I'll add more due to heat.

This variety is heat, drought tolerant, and pretty disease tolerant. So you're probably right, it's just pest issues, physiological stress and secondary disease.

Snow scale... I thought it was mealybugs
I just sprayed a horticultural oil, I'll see if that helps. I've been using neem oil for insects, but I find it isn't sufficient, and DE hasn't worked either. Any suggestions for a natural but effective pesticide? Or maybe I should just use chemical ones

So, I've pruned the spotted leaves, I'll check soil more often, move it into the shade, double the mulch, and try a different pesticide treatment, hopefully the problem will be resolved. Thanks again

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2881
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

I can't add much to that, except to say that if you have been spraying neem and/or horticultural oil in that extreme heat, that may be part of the problem. It is suggested that oils not be sprayed when temperatures are above 90°. Any time I'm going to spray the oil/potassium bicarbonate mix, I check to see what the forecast is, and if there is any 90° or close anytime soon!

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13992
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

I cut off any really infested leaves. Tomato has soft leaves so it is a little harder to get them off. I usually blast scale and small sucking pests off with water, but it can cut up the leaves. If you have time and patience, in the cooler part of the day pull up a chair and dip a cotton swab in a small cup of alcohol and push the scale off the leaf. After you have pushed them off, wash the leaf off with water. Put out ant bait.



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