Need help - Tomato plants not doing good!!

[vin]

Hi:

I have posted the same message in the Tomato Garden Progress Forum also.

We have been growing tomatoes in pots for the last 3+ years. These have been doing fine over these years.

However this year we are having problems. I have listed below two main problems:

1. The leaves on all plants show small black specks. The leaves turn yellow in a few days, then turn brown, rot and fall off. The stems become yellow, then brown and break off.

After noticing this problem we removed all yellowed leaves and stems. This left the plants with a very few leaves. We sprayed the remaining leaves on the plants with a mixture of bicarb soda, vegetable oil and dish soap (as suggested in one of the other forums about tomato problems.) Now the remaining leaves on the plants are all curled up and the flower buds seem to be lifeless.


What can we do to revive these tomato plants?

2. On some of the plants the tomatoes are disfigured as shown in the picture below. What is causing it and can anything be done to fix it?

081113 - Tomato problem-1.jpg (28.71 KiB) Viewed 1344 times

We will appreciate any help.

[imafan26]

The fruits show signs of uneven watering concentric cracking and scabbing. That could be the result of the plant's vascular system becoming clogged rather than any watering that you are doing. The specks could be bacterial or fungal and again if the vascular system of the plant is clogged, the plant will be unable to transport water and nutrients to the leaves and fruits and they will eventually wilt and die.

Regardless of cause, whether it is a wilt, bacterial or fungal disease, the solutions are the same. When the infections are severe it is best to pull the plants and discard them. Since some of these diseases can persist in the soil and on tools as well, Dump the soil in the pots preferably off the property and thoroughly clean the pots and tools with bleach to disinfect them. The spores can hang around the neighborhood for a while so it is best not to plant susceptible crops for a couple of years until the spore counts are reduced. Then it is best to plant tomatoes varieties that are resistant to the common verticilium and fusarium wilts. Apparently there are some new strains of old diseases that are making the rounds that even resistant tomatoes will have a problem with. Since these diseases can also be transmitted by seed, be careful where you get your seeds and transplants.

https://oardc.osu.edu/sallymiller/Extens ... gement.pdf

[vin]

imafan26:

Thanks for the information.

I appreciate it.