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rakin_gw

What's wrong with these. Spots!

rakin
9 years ago

The spots are brown, almost a rust color. It started a while back, but at first I thought that it was from the water splashing. Now the lower leaves are not nearly as green as the upper or newer leaves. It is still growing and producing flower, which as you can see are giving me plenty of tomatoes. These are Roma tomatoes and the one on the right is the worst. The other one has just recently begun to show similar symptoms. ( ignore the leaning, The pot is slightly tilted, but the roots have come through the bottom, so I don't want to adjust it for fear of tearing the roots).


Comments (10)

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I guess some kind of nutrition deficiency.

    Your tomatoes overall look needing some food.

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    9 years ago

    ......and water, the pots look dry. The pots look a bit small too. They could already be approaching rootbound

  • rakin
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, I agree that the pots are a bit too small. These are my first vegetables and I did not realize how big they would get. As far as nutrients, I used the 511 mix recommended on the container pg. They started out with miracle grow perlite and osmocote mixed in. When I moved them to these pots, I added more of the same as well as some tomato tone. I also occasionally give them miracle grow in the water. They get watered almost daily now. It may look dry, but beneath the surface is moist.
    Does this sound like they still need more nutrients? And if so, what? In the mean time, I can try to up the miracle grow if that will help. I just assumed that they were suffering from a fungus or something.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    The spots interest me the most as possible indications of foliage diseases.

    Do you find leaves with those spots on both of the plants you show, and if so high or low on the plants, and with any other tomato plants you might be growing.

    And did you have any tomato plants with foliage diseases that you grew in roughly the same spot last summer?

    Carolyn

  • centexan254 zone 8 Temple, Tx
    9 years ago

    If you have roots coming out of the bottom of one or both of those plants it is time to get a larger pot. That is where root binding begins. When plants get too root bound you will run into many problems.

    If they were started from seed, and moved outside then it could be sunburn on the lower leaves. If they are store bought then I am guessing early signs of root binding.

    If worried about a disease then get some neem oil, or daconil. Use them as directed. Spray the top, and bottom of the leaves. Use it once a week, or once every two weeks. Follow the directions on the label instructions. I would advise to spray it on in the evening so it can dry before morning without the leaves getting sun burn from it.

  • Campanula UK Z8
    9 years ago

    No, not a fungal disease but a deficiency -manganese I would say. Called growth mottle and occurring most often during periods of fast growth. Calm down on both watering and fertilising - do a soil test if you can because high acidfity is often responsible for manganese deficiency. You can raise the ph to around 7 with a little lime, and repot.

  • carolyn137
    9 years ago

    I just checked the picture and the description of Mn deficiency in my tomato pathology monograph and here's what it said:

    ( The younger leaves develop interveinal chlorosis followed by necrosis, while the midribs of the leaf remain green)

    Amd in the picture in the monograph I can see the chlorosis (yellowing) on both sides of the midrib, not farther out on the leaf, but yes, the midrib stayed green'

    There were no spots such as I saw on the picture above and I saw no chlorosis at all either side of the midrib.

    Perhaps too early to see that? I don't know.

    Fact is that I've always used balanced fertilizers and never recall seeing nutrient deficiences except with purpling of seedlings when it's too cool and P can't be absorbed via the roots, in which case I might use a foliar spray to bypass the roots to get some P to the plant, but most times I just ignore it. ( smile)

    Carolyn

  • rakin
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    "Do you find leaves with those spots on both of the plants you show, and if so high or low on the plants, and with any other tomato plants you might be growing."

    The spots are mostly on the plant at the right. That particular leaf is from the middle of the plant on the right. The spots started at the bottom and have been gradually moving upward. It has almost reached the top of the right plant and is just now showing up on the left plant. All of the new leaves and upper leaves are green. I have a very large pot of bush steak tomatoes about 40 feet away from these, and they do not have any of these symptoms. They are healthy and green. So I guess the issue is restricted to these two pots. Also you can see the peppers in the lower right (extras that are in major need of being moved to their new pots), they have been sitting together from the beginning but have not developed this problem.

    "If they were started from seed, and moved outside then it could be sunburn on the lower leaves. If they are store bought then I am guessing early signs of root binding."

    Started from seed. Probably are having some root binding, but the pots that they are in were suppose to be self watering. I removed the bottoms to allow better drainage. As a result the roots have not been contained to the pot. The entire bottom of the pot has half inch slat openings running across it as well as the regular holes for drainage. The roots have grown through the openings and down into the ground beneath. I discovered this a few weeks ago when I attempted to move one of the pots.
    But like I was saying, I am growing other tomatoes in the same type of medium and conditions, as well as potatoes, cucumbers, baby watermelons, and peppers. These two tomatoes are the only ones having issues.
    Is is possible that this is septoria? I will check the ph and see if it is too acidic.
    I just ran out to check on them and did notice some white flies. Don't know if this is related, but any suggestions on killing the little buggers?

  • edweather USDA 9a, HZ 9, Sunset 28
    9 years ago

    Definitely more MG. The Tomato Tone won't help much in the short term. Water often, and use 1/4-1/2 strength MG with every watering. Your leaf color should respond fairly quickly and become a much darker green.

  • seysonn
    9 years ago

    I agree with Edweather. The pale foliage color alone is a good indication of nutes deficiency. Excess watering may have been a contributing factor as well.
    The browning effect shown in the last picture is probably a reminiscent of past when it was cooler and now it is just expiring. I would just pinch those and any yellow leaves. Th often can harbor diseases. Leave like that not only do not make any contribution but they are burden on the plant.

    I doubt that those plant , in those containers (bigger than 5 Gallons), at this stage have become root bound
    JMO.

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