Half of mine are doing the exact same thing. I figure they will come out of it in time. At least I hope so!

This came in from the Texas Gardener Newsletter a few days ago. Could this be the problem?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The early blight get the poor tomato
By Kevin Ong, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Extension Plant Pathologist
Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology
Director - Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory
Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Ever seen the bottom leaves of tomatoes having spots or blotches, turning yellow and eventually dying. Then the problem seems to continue to climb up the plant. The plant appears to be burnt from the bottom up. For home gardeners in Texas, these are usually the symptoms that result from early blight disease. Early blight typically starts on older leaves as small spots. These spots enlarge into somewhat circular lesions with concentric rings. Plant tissue surrounding the lesions is yellow. Eventually the leaves drop. Early blight, caused by the fungus Alternaria solani, is favored by warms temperatures and extended periods of leaf wetness. This fungus can persist in soil or on plant debris.

Quality fruit yield can be affected if early blight is allowed to run rampant. If you have had to deal with this problem in previous year, there is a good possibility that you will have to deal with this same problem if growing tomatoes in same area. Here are several things that can be done to help manage this disease in a home garden:

Rotate planting area. Choose to plant your tomato plants in another part of your garden.

Use resistant varieties. There are a few varieties that are available to home gardeners with resistance to Alternaria. Look for description on plant labels or the "A" designation behind the variety name.

Taking care while watering the plant. Prevent the splashing of water or "soil splashing" onto lower leaves. Since the pathogen can persist in the soil, this is good practice to prevent the fungus from getting on plant. Drip irrigation is a good way to reduce this splashing effect. Also water at times of the days to prevent/reduce the leaf wetness period.

Mulching. Using plastic or organic (straw) mulch will help to cut down on "soil splashing" thus reducing the probability of the pathogen getting on the plant.

Encourage air flow. Staking and spacing the tomato plants to increase air movement within and between the plants are extremely helpful in reducing the leaf wetness period.

Remove & destroy old plant debris. At the end of the season, remove and destroy old plants.

Use fungicide in a timely fashion. There are several products that are available to home gardeners that are relatively effective against early blight. Products containing the active ingredient chlorothalonil (Fungonil, Ortho Garden Disease Control) or mancozeb are effective in managing early blight especially when used in a preventative fashion.

Alternative fungicide include biological such as Bacillus pumilus (Serenade) or natural products containing potassium bicarbonate (Bonide Remedy) are best used as preventative to manage early blight. Please refer to product label for proper rates and usage.

--------------

Anyone can subscribe to their Newletter "Seeds". See bottom left on the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Gardener ...

Typically when older foliage begins yellowing several things can be in Play.Not enough water,low nitrogen levels
sunlight can be an issue also.
Art

Alternaria is a perenial problem in Texas. You can "solarize" your garden area that this problem shows up in, and there is some success in holding it in check using epsom salt spray, or copper spray, but once it shows up there is little else you can do to control it. Rotate beds/area that any solenatious plants (peppers, potato, tomato, eggplant) has grown in the previous 3-4 years. Unfortunately, that advise is good if you have a couple acres of garden, but not very practical for many of us with smaller plots. using a heavy mulch early on does help. I feel your pain!
Jerry

These are new beds, all new soil. Seems to be enough water.

Less sunlight than our usual spot - which got too much sun so we decided to plan in an area with more morning sun but less mid-day sun (gets sun again late afternoon). But the description of blight looks right. Can I stop it once it's started?

I use Actinovate as a soil drench and to spray the plant. It seems to have taken care of lots of my fungal problems.

Daconil applied at 1.5 TBSP per gallon of water every 7 to 10 days, repeating after a good rain. I start this regimen as soon as the plants go in the ground. Once they have some decent size and are loading up with fruit, I concentrate in the lower half or third of the plant unless there is lots of rain, whereas I continue to spray the whole plant. It works great as a preventative and is not systemic. It has helped me quite a bit with the moisture and humidity here in south Texas.
Of course, mulching well and no overhead watering helps as well

CJRA,

I did the same thing you did, put in a new bed with new soil and less sun for the exact same reason. I didn't have any spots or anything, the bottom leaves just yellowed and died. Now a couple of new leaves are appearing down low where the others died. I think I'll just wait it out and see what happens.

Lynn Marie

Or rather, more problems. The tomatoes are starting to have brown spots on the bottom. Some have just spots, some are solid brown rings on the bottom of the fruit. I cut them open and there's no insect in them.

So is this a lost cause? Do I pull up all the plants and start new? And if I start new, how do I address the problem so it doesn't happen again? (preferably organically)

cjra...Where did you get your soil that your growing these tomatoes in? I am in san antonio also and it would help to see what happened.

hmmmm. where. Either from Lowe's or Fannicks. I've bought at both. I also use my own compost but I don't think I put it in this particular bed.
Note though that I also have peppers and strawberries planted in this bed (just one of each) and they're fine so far. And i have 3 beds (peppers, chard, and cucumber in the others). Only thing hit are the tomatoes.

frustrating as my plants were looking fabulous for awhile. I htink I'm going to have to pull them all out.

I'm not experienced in all the ups and downs of tomato growing, but I'm wondering if a problem appears it could alleviated by planting a variety that is resistant to Alternaria 'blight' and whatever other diseases might be plaguing them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Picking a disease resistant tomato

Ok I'm going to jump in here to talk about a product that for the last two years has really helped with my tomato problems both at home and the community garden. Before I used this stuff I tended to have lots of problems with diseases that stayed in the soil and manifested themselves as the season progressed. Now I don't seem to have these problems and I've treated a few other peoples plots at the community garden with equal success. This product is called Actinovate. Lawn people use it for fungus problems but it's basically a beneficial bacteria so can be used in the garden. You can use it as a soil drench (that's what I do when I plant) and you can spray the foliage (that's what I do later). It's turned areas of my garden into safe areas again.

Now it seems pretty expensive and has any expiration date but I have numerous people who will be trying it next year because of the health of my plants. Trust me, I don't get a penny from promoting it but I think it might just help a few gardens out there so I talk it up.

If you take care of your soil with compost and organic fertilizers, but still have issues you might want to give this a try.