Tomato question

[Aluckyguess]

Here is a link to pictures of my tomato's. I was wondering if the brown leafs are normal or if I am doing something wrong. Maybe they are the determinate and starting to die?

[Aluckyguess]

[The Cook]

Check out this site.

[HomerS]

An important clue is that most of the damage occurs near the bottom where there is more moisture and less circulation of air.

You can help by thinning out the foliage and letting your plants breathe and air circulate.

And NEVER wet the ground under the plant. You want the soil under the plant to be completely dry at all times. You can do this with a good dry layered mulch. To water the plants, use a buried bottle such as a milk jug with holes punched in the bottom.

[Charlie]

I agree with HomerS. I get some of this every year.

If it were my garden, I wouldn't be concerned right now.

Thin out the underfoliage, the brown stuff in particular. When I do this I wash my hands between thinnings/cleanings just in case it is something that I don't want to spread to another plant.

Your beds/garden look nice.

Care Charlie

[Billy Rose]

I agree. I don't have the faintest idea what this is but they are all lower leaves. I would figure that they have done their thing and not worry about it. The crop looks good. The crown looks good. I'd say,"enjoy".

[Dave]

My opinion. Most likely. Not enough light. Too thick. Too much moisture in the region where the leaf die-off is evident. Your irrigation method is probably contributing to it. Dave

[Aluckyguess]

Thanks everyone you guys are great. I will thin out the bottom and only water with underground soker hose.

Kevin

[Boron Elgar]

How do you get the rain to cooperate with your tomato watering plan?

Boron

[The Cook]

You mean you can't direct the rain around the plants and into the soil? :)

According to the Texas A&M site, it looks like early blight. I usually get some on my tomato plants, but it doesn't usually kill them. Spray with a copper-based fungicide, according to Rodale's "Garden Problem Solver."

Early blight seems to be selective. Some of my tomatoes that are thick close to the ground show no signs of it and some of the ones that are fairly thin and off the ground do have it. BTW we use soaker hoses that are covered with grass clipping.

[Mel M Kelly]

Do what she said but add 1/2 asprin per gal of water and do it once a week after the sun has gone down.

From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

[Jim Kingdon]

That's my experience too. Usually I scratch my head, wonder what is going on, maybe water a bit (if I haven't been), and basically ignore it.

Can't promise that always works, or even is the best approach, but it has worked for me.

[Aluckyguess]

It seems to be getting worse.

[Dave]

If drying out and thinning doesn't cure it, may be something else. Too soon to say so far. There are 2 common afflictions to tomatoes that start by producing the symptoms of dead leaves starting at the bottom of the plant. The worst is s virus that's actually in the soil. No cure. Plant something else. Or leave unplanted for a few years. No, not kidding. Dave

[Billy Rose]

Virus or some thing else like verticillium or fusarium wilt ?

[Aluckyguess]

Its a new bed. I sprayed a fungicide we will see what happens.

Thanks again.

[ValveJob]

Actully, you need to start new plants that have NOT been exposed to the disease. Then hit them with your fungicide on a schedule and again when it rains for more than a brief spell. Several days of extremely humid weather can spread the disease much more rapidly.

[john.glassmoyer]

I'm pretty sure it's fungal damage- probably early blight. Good air circulation and fungicides are the way to go. Daconil is good, neem oil will work, as will sulfur. Copper's not bad, but it's better for prevention (or if you catch it early).

I'm not sure about not wetting the soil just below the plant (that's how I water!), but I do know that moisture on the leaves helps the fungus thrrive.

Good luck!

Aluckyguess wrote:

[Grave Yard Guy]

I've had an impossible time finding Daconil. The local Agway, who has never steered me wrong before, claims it has been discontinued and replaced with a product called Funginil. Anyone know anything about this?

[Angello Huong]

I bought some at Wal-Mart just a few days ago. It was the concentrate liquid type that you add your own water. Pretty potent stuff, as the instructions say to use 1 tablespoon per gallon water.