The link is just to the image dump, all the info is in this post.
I have a very turbulent relationship with growing tomatoes. They have excellent germination and transplant success, and start to grow very well, but if I don’t keep on top of them or if there are a lot of bacterial issues, we don’t get a lot of fruit. My climate is very hot and humid in the summers.
Here are some links to reputable websites about diagnosing tomato issues:
- Texas A&M Extension Office
- University of Maryland Extension Office
- Ontario Integrated Pest Management - Tomatoes
- Some fertilizer company with really good diagnostic photos - sorry!
Okay, on to my tomatoes. Here are a few photos of their general appearance and growing conditions. These photos are mostly after clean up. I am growing a few varieties of plum tomatoes as well as Super Sweet 100s which are a cherry tomato.
They are woven into the trellis as they grow and we try and keep them airy by removing suckers and pruning. Another priority is keeping the bottoms of the plants clear to minimize slugs.
The following photos are of some of the problems on the plants and what I think they are, based on the above links.
I think this one is pretty clearly powdery mildew. These are “extra” plants in a different bed than the ones I showed above and they are crowded and not pruned well.
I need to make sure they are being watered from the bottom and not splashing the soil.
I’m not sure what the issue is here. The tomatoes are falling off before ripe, but the stem is yellowing. It is starting at the fruit, versus at other parts of the plants like a disease might. If you have any thoughts, please do share!
I think this is blossom drop, which the ontario site says is due to stress. In addition to weather stress, nutrition deficiencies and disease/pests, the plant might be carrying too much fruit already.
These leaves are just slightly yellowish and slightly curled. It looks like it could be a nutrient deficiency, or the early stages of a disease.
I should probably test the soil.
These leaves are a little further along in being hecked up. I am going to guess these are either Verticillium wilt or Bacterial spot, but I am leaning towards the wilt. I will need to investigate varieties that are resistant, as crop rotation is somewhat challenging for us.
