Spotty, yellowing tomato leaves

[dcSaute]

Originally Posted by Dawgluver

Great info, Sparrowgrass. I did plant the tomatoes in a new spot, but next year I will mulch and use fungicide. Have never had this problem this early in the season.

the plants might have come 'infected' - a year (or two?) back a rather larger grower shipped out blighted plants all over the country.....

[sparrowgrass]

All part of the job, Dawg. I am an Extension Specialist (and a Master Gardener) and some days, I get 5 people in here with that exact question.

I am pretty much all organic, so I rarely turn to chemical controls. (WIth the exception of poison ivy. I would go nuclear on that stuff, if I thought it would help.) Mulching may solve all of your problems, and buying plants from different grower might help too. I grow my own, but if I was buying, I would go for a local, smaller grower than the folks who supply WalMart and Lowes. If you pick the blighted leaves off, don't compost them--burn them or send them to the landfill. And wash your hands/tools before you touch healthy plants.

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by sparrowgrass

Sounds like blight. I don't know that there is anything organic you can do this year, but next year you can implement some control methods.

First, don't plant tomatoes in the same spot. The disease is in the soil there. Plant tomatoes as far away from the blight spot as you can. Second. mulch your tomatoes immediately upon planting--the disease is in the soil (I think I already said that ) and you don't want soil splashing up on the leaves when it rains.)

Third, buy resistant varieties--which might eliminate a lot of heirlooms. Look on the tag or seed packet for the letters V, F, and N. The more letters the more resistant. (V--vermiticulum wilt, F is fusarium resistant, and N is nematode resistant.)

Tomato Early Blight - Steps for Control has some info on chemical controls.

Totally nailed it!! ~~~ Rotate crops, mulch, buy disease resistant varieties....I spray weekly with a fungicide/insecticide mix up until harvest begins....

[Dawgluver]

Good stuff, all! Thanks!

I have never had to use anything but Pyola (canola-pyrithirin) spray, for bugs. Works wonders with flea beetles, sawflies, and bean beetles.

Will invest in a fungicide for next year.