Identifying Tomato Disease

5 years ago

I have a few tiny Tim tomato bushes that seem to have a fungal infection, but I don’t have the experience to identify issues that I’ve found in research. I figured I’d see if people have thoughts here before I throw the plants out because they are still managing to fruit.

Featured Answer

outpaientzero

5 years ago

Your last post told the story. The problem is your root system and you'll need to shade the black pot to keep from turning it into an oven, which is killing off some of the roots packed into the pot. A tomato transpires and loses a lot of water in the sun and the root system can't keep up with the demand. By design and for the survival of future generations the plants priority is to produce seed and will supply the tomatoes growing with available water and sacrifice the foliage.

In the ground a root system for a tomato plant will go 2 to 3 feet down and spread out at least 2 ft on all sides. All your plants root systems are contained in the black pot and can't meet the demand for water for two reasons, they're too small and the other is they're dying because of the high heat in the pot. Shade the pot with some sort of curtain, anything to block the sun out and make sure they're well watered.

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Comments (6)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
never start by suggesting the problem.. else you limit responses to such..

what are you seeing that you think is a problem ...

how about a pic of the whole plant including the pot and all ...

if that is a tiny tomato plant.. i fear seeing your big T plants .. lol ...

ken
outpaientzero
5 years ago
Ken is right and a whole plant pic would be helpful. But it doesn't look like a fungus has attacked your plants so don't throw them away. Growing Tomatoes in containers is a challenge to begin with, and with tomatoes the nutrient requirements change as it goes from vegetative growth to flowering and to fruit setting and producing. What was fine growing leaves isn't isn't necessarily right when it starts producing fruit.

To much of one nutrient can also cause a deficiency of one or more other nutrients, and some nutrients are mobile in the plant and are stripped and move from lower leaves to higher new growth and fruit production. So better pictures and also a list of what you put in the pot, how much and how often.
Will
Original Author
5 years ago
Here’s a couple of full-plant pictures of two of the plants below. The first one is having more issues. What’s happening is branch-by-branch, leaves are greying and wilting. The process is starting on the branch in the 2nd picture above. What seems to be different between healthy stem and the affected plants is the spots seen on the stem in the first picture above.

They’re in 3-gal pots, and I’m fertilizing with a 3-week rotation of epsom salt, 9-6-2, and 0-10-10 fertilizer. fertilizer is 1tsp/gallon and salt is 1 tbsp/gallon.

thank you for taking a look- I really appreciate it.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
5 years ago
my first thought is.. anything blooming and holding fruit cant have all that many problems..

instead of doing the happy dance.. you are worrying ... why??? .. lets not screw it all up by loving it too much ...

why are they in what looks like the garage?? .. maybe a carport???

ken
Will
Original Author
5 years ago
Worried because branches that get full sun are shriveling up, breaking off, and dying.

it’s just an ugly, but big apartment balcony!