Tomatoes are a much-loved summer crop, but everyone from the newbies to the most seasoned green thumbs may discover a problem or two afflicting their plants.
So, what’s a gardener to do?
Our guide to the most common tomato diseases will help you to identify, treat, and even prevent a variety of fungal, bacterial, and viral ailments, as well as physiological disorders and issues caused by other types of pathogens.
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Ready to start troubleshooting? Let’s dig in!
If you discover a problem, all is not lost! You may still be able to bring in a delicious harvest.
By checking your plants regularly and taking action at the first sign of a problem, many of the diseases and other issues discussed here are treatable, if not curable.
Others may be fatal, but removing diseased plants from the garden is an important step, to avoid further spread throughout the garden.
We offer suggested treatments, as well as steps you can take to prevent the same issues in subsequent growing seasons.
Caused by Fungal PathogensAs is the case with many plants, a wide array of fungi may attack tomato plants.
No part of the plant is safe – the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruit, both green and ripe, can all be infected by a number of different types of fungi.
1. Alternaria Stem CankerCaused by Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici, this fungus is closely related to the one that causes early blight, but in addition to attacking the leaves and fruit, it also commonly causes disease on the stems.
The main symptoms are cankers – dark brown recessed lesions – on the stems near the soil line,
Read more on gardenerspath.com