Sick tomatoe plants

RobertaD · #1 (**permalink**) 08-28-2008, 04:21 PM

Does anyone know what is wrong with my soil? My tomatoe plants start dropping the leaf limbs as they turn yellow with brown/black spots. This is the second or third year that this has happened. Harvest this year is great and I still have lots of tomatoes growing and turning red.

Roberta

**AnnaInOhio** · #2 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 11:14 AM

RobertaD

I had that happen with one variety of tomatoes, The Better Big Boys I think is what they were called...I found if you start pulling them just as they are starting to turn that orangish color you don't get the brownish mark on the bottom. They were still good to eat even with the mark on the bottom. They took the longest to grow but had the biggest tomatoes.

Anna

Darlene · #3 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 01:54 PM

The black mark is called blossom end rot. You can cut this off if it's not too big and still use the tomato. Tomatoes haven't been good for at least two years at my house. I have also used Better Boys so I switched this year to Supersteak and they have been slow to set on but now they are fine even though the plants are starting to die back.

RobertaD · #4 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 02:47 PM

It isn't the tomatoes that are getting the dark marks then dieing it is the plant its self. The leaves are getting dark marks then the stem turns yellow then brown.

Roberta

Darlene · #5 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 03:20 PM

http://www.salisburypost.com/Lifesty...ll-blossom-end
Here is a good article explaining what ber is and how to prevent it.

Brenda H. · #6 (**permalink**) 09-05-2008, 05:32 PM

I agree-- it's some kind of disease. Are you planting them in the same spot every year? I would try a different spot. Do you plant other things there? Are they okay? Try looking at this article and website:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1624.html

RobertaD · #7 (**permalink**) 09-06-2008, 03:49 PM

I do rotate the crops into different areas every year which is supposed to help the soil nutrients and lower the risk of disease carrying over from year to year.

This is the third year that the tomatoes have done this so I know it isn't weather related. So I think its either something the soil needs for tomatoes or a disease that only effects tomatoes that is in all the soil.

Thanks for the link Brenda from reading I think it is Verticillium Wilt that is killing the plants.

Roberta

**seleach** · #8 (**permalink**) 09-07-2008, 11:50 AM

If you have blossom-end rot, add calcium to the soil.

Roberta it does sound like a wilt or a leaf blight.