Tomatoes & Diseases

Growing fresh tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the true joys of the vegetable gardener. But tomatoes can suffer from all kinds of diseases and pests. Problems in growing tomatoes are often the result of weather conditions. This is something that is out of the gardener’s control. However if you know your area is prone to a certain disease, you should look for varieties that are listed as resistant. Tomato diseases are rarely fatal, if the proper management is employed. It is important to detect any tomato disease an early stage, before it spreads to all of your tomato plants and possibly other plants in the same family, such as potatoes, eggplants and peppers. Here are some common tomato diseases, their symptoms and what to do if tomato diseases threaten your home vegetable garden.

Early Blight is disease which can affect the foliage, stems and fruit of tomatoes.

Symptoms: Dark spots with concentric rings develop on older leaves first. The surrounding leaf area may turn yellow. Affected leaves may die prematurely, exposing the fruits to sun scald.

Gray Leaf Spot Gray Leaf Spot affects only the leaves of tomatoes, starting with the oldest leaves. Symptoms: Small, dark spots that can be seen on both the top and bottom surfaces of the leaves. The spots enlarge and turn a grayish brown. Eventually the centers of the spots crack and fall out, leaving the leaf area to turn yellow and then wither off

Verticillium Wilt This name can be misleading, as sometimes the leaves will turn yellow, dry up and never appear to wilt. Verticillium wilt is caused by a soil-borne fungus and it can affect many different vegetables. The fungus can persist in the soil for many years, so crop rotation and selection of resistant varieties is crucial. This disease is fatal for a plant.

Symptoms include: wilting during the hottest part of the day and recovering at night, yellowing and eventually browning between the leaf veins starting with the older, lower leaves and discoloration inside the stems. Verticillium Wilt inhibits the plants ability to take in water and nutrients and will eventually kill the plant. Verticillium wilt is more pronounced in cool weather.

Septoria Leaf Spot is sometimes mistaken for Blight. Septoria leaf spot, also called Septoria blight, is a very common disease of tomatoes. It is caused by a fungus (Septoria lycopersici) which can affect the tomatoes of just about anywhere in the world. Although Septoria leaf spot is not necessarily fatal for your tomato plants, it spreads rapidly and can quickly defoliate and weaken the plants, rendering them unable to bear fruit to maturity.

Symptoms: With septoria leaf spot, the papery patches on the leaves develop tiny, dark specks inside them. Older leaves are affected first.

For useful tips and management of the diseases visit: http://seedbuzz.com/knowledge-center/articles