Learn how to cure your tomato plant diseases with these vegetable gardening for beginners tips! I’ve made tomato plants a part of my garden crop since I first started gardening, and over the years, I saw my fair-share of diseased plants! Fortunately, with many diseased plants comes with a pretty good knowledge of the pests causing the problem! Here is how I deal with the 5 most common tomato plant diseases!
Septoria Leaf Spot
If you are having a spout of warm and wet weather in your area, you’ve probably noticed these irritating circular black spots. If Septoria is a common disease in your area, control it’s spread by keeping plants adequately spread out. Additionally, when watering, only water the BOTTOM of the plant, avoiding splashing the leaves. Purchase this fungicide if your plants are affected!
Anthracnose
If you want to keep your plants from looking like they were harvested in the “Upside Down” (Stranger Things reference…) make sure that you are harvesting them as they ripen. Additionally, keep plants spread apart, and keep from watering the leaves!
Verticillium Wilt
Verticillium Wilt is caused when fungus lives in the soil and infects young tomato plants. Infected tomato plants will look wilted and thirsty during the day, but often “recover” overnight. Slowly, the wilt will infect the entire plant. Unfortunately, once affected, there isn’t much you can do. Destroy the effected plants immediately, and do not put them in your compost pile. It will ruin it. Completely. Do not plant tomatoes, eggplant, or potato plants in the area where the infection started for at least 6 years. The plants will be infected again.
Mosaic Virus
The Mosaic virus creates a “mosaic” look by turning portions of leaves yellow or brown. It won’t kill your plant, just diminish the quality of fruits, so it is best to just prevent the spread of more. This virus infects your tomato plants via a cut in it’s surface, so handlers must avoid handling the plant if at all possible. Disease is spread via tobacco, so users should wash their hands before gardening.
Late Blight
Late Blight commonly affects plants at the end of a growing season, and many think that it looks like frostbite because it kind of looks like it could be! Not unlike Leaf Spot, it occurs when conditions are wet for long periods of time, but during cooler temperatures. Prevent the disease by protecting plants in cool and rainy weather, planting them a good distance apart from one another. Always water tomato plants on the base!
I am a master gardener and am always looking for good cultural practices. Your post is simple and straightforward. Very well written. Will share with others.
Thank you! 🙂