More tomato trouble

17 years ago

Me and tomatoes. We have a love-hate relationship. I finally got some planted in Tomncath's pot-in-pot method and a few in earthboxes. These look good so far and are growing fast. However, I had two volunteers come up from my compost a while back. These came up inbetween my collards and between the broccoli. They have been draping everywhere and are full of golf-ball sized fruits. The taste is acceptable, short of yummy, but they are prolific and I was hoping to keep them till my others start fruiting, at least.

Well, for the last two weeks I've noticed the leaves from the bottom getting yellow, then spotted, then brown. About two thirds of the plants' leaves are affected. In my research (and info from a recent post), I think I may have 'early blight?' Apparently it is a fungus from spores splashing up from the soil? Anyway, today I removed the leaves that appeared to be affected and any I found on the ground. I also removed one of the broccoli plants to provide better air circulation. With another clean scissors I cut off any of the leaves on the other good plants that were touching the ground (info from another post). I guess I will try to only water the base of the plants and only in the morning when it will have time to dry out.

What to do? I don't like to spray anything that isn't organic. Not even organic stuff most of the time. I've heard cornmeal has some antifungal properties, maybe that would be worth trying.

I'm sure some of you have had experience with this. Should I just bite the bullet and pull the plants (they are laden with green fruits)? They are 5-10 feet away from the other plants. I appreciate any advice. Help!!!

Anna

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Comments (6)

greenacresgirl
17 years ago
I don't have any advice on the blight issue. But if you want to ripen the fruit quickly and than pull the plants, you could step on the stems or even cut them near the roots and this will make everything ripen quickly. (This is advice given for people expecting a frost in a few days)

Once they get even a little red you could also pick them and let them ripen the rest of the way indoors.

Good Luck

Michelle
an_ill-mannered_ache
17 years ago
anna, all my tomatoes always have yellowing leaves at the bototm. pick 'em off. throw them out. water (A LOT), fertilize, and try to ignore the yellowing leaves.

by the end of the season, i'll often have 2 feet of bare stem before the leaves start. it's just the way tomatoes grow.
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captnkirk2112
17 years ago
Mine normally lose alot of leaves starting at the bottom and works its way up.Im not sure if its blight are some other foliage problem but i have had it every year exept my first year.I dont think its normal to have leaves start to turn brown 2/3 up the plant unless the plant has been in the ground for a long time.So far i have no foliage problems this year but all mine are still in the wallowaters,things can change in a hurry and i have no reason to believe in the next few weeks i wont be seeing it again.It sure makes the plants look bad.I wouldnt mind if i just lost a few at the bottom late into the season but mine end up looking like palm trees,lol.

kirk
annafl
Original Author
17 years ago
Michelle, that's a good tip. I'd never heard that before. I'll have to remember that. Don't know if I'm going to do it yet. Think I will wait it out a little.

Michael and kirk, that happens to you too? Is it really normal? When people show pics of their plants they usually look beautiful to me. Anyway, that made me feel a lot better. I ended up removing about two thirds of these two plants' leaves today and they look weird. Anyway, Michael, I will definitely take your advice and try to chill about it. I just want to have good success with my tomatoes this season! BTW, I planted the 'sweet treat' carrots and the 'tokyo cross' turnips. I'm really excited about it.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I think I'm feeling better. Should I be?

Anna
cindeea
17 years ago
anna, I don't think people take pics of their bad looking tomatoes! lol I read on a link somewhere one time that was showing the 2 ways of 'pruning up' tomato plants (either the full leaf or Missouri snip) that they recommended all leaves below the lowest flowers be removed once fruit starts to set. They said the plants didn't need the lower leaves for shade, it made plants stronger or something and there were less leaves near the soil to pick up crud disease or bugs from the soil. I have been eliminating my lower leaves everytime I pot up smaller seedlings and on all my larger plants once they are big enough to set leaves...I also treat the soil around my pots before I put out my tomato plants.
treefrog_fl
17 years ago
Anna,
This is a common problem. If you've got a good fruit set you should still get a good harvest. Like everyone said, pick off the yellow leaves and keep the plant growing. Some old tomato folks told me years ago "I ain't growin 'em for the foliage anyway."
Daconil is the only spray that will control it to my knowledge aka Ortho disease control. Not organic though.

Some tomatoes like Cherokee Purple simply get black crispy older leaves every year. No yellowing at all. Not pretty, but they still make plenty of fruit. I try to keep the crispy leaves picked off. Mine is finishing up soon (started in August) but it has had a great season. Lots of maters. Best tasting tomato this winter. Still has quite a few left to ripen.

Keep 'em growing.