Early Blight?

Post your pictures over at the Tomato Pests & Diseases forum, someone there will know.

Tom

I'm wondering exactly how much of the foliage is affected?

IMPE, tomato plants' lower leaves die & fall off as they grow - & they can look pretty rotten as they expire. A healthy plant can outgrow a lot of diseases. If it is less than 1/3 of the foliage & only lower leaves, you may not have any real problem. What do the tops of the plants look like?

It wouldn't hurt to remove the affected leaves & dispose of them in the trash.

1 trick I learned awhile back is to remove any leaves touching the soil when setting out the plants & mulch thickly w/ old hay or straw to keep soil-borne diseases from splashing onto the plants. Looks like your plants are on bare soil?

Soil looks really wet to me, setup for fungal diseases....

That's bad. Get out the sprays. Manacozeb/Neem oil. Possibly dilute Clorox.

Thanks for all of the responses, everyone. Only a few leaves are affected thus far. I have mulched all of my beds except this one, since most of the plants were so small - I wanted to let them get a bit bigger before getting in there with mulch. I hadn't realized that open soil presented a disease risk to them, so I will mulch forthwith - and zap them with a fungicide as well.

Hopefully, that will help save the plants that are infected and stop any spread.

Again, thanks for the advice!

Alan

Hi Alan

I hope that you have the problem under control. It is always a good idea to spray with a fungicide after a rain. Don't touch the plant when the leaves are wet, when dry you can cut the bad parts, usually they bounce back. Because tomatoes are prone to many fungal diseases I like to grow mine in containers, it is easier to isolate if there is a problem. I sprayed my garden this morning with serenade for disease and spinosad for bugs.

Silvia

Hey Silvia,

Didn't you say you mix the two together? I know some are compatible and some aren't....

Tom

Tom, I always mix serenade and spinosad and sometimes few other things depending on the possible problems. I never had any issue mixing them, now if I was using stronger things probably is a bad idea. Next spring I am planning to use more of the kaolin spray and that I use alone.
In the resort were I was they sprayed sevin almost daily and still had problems with bugs, hibiscus looked very sickly there.

Silvia

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone - and folks over at the pests & diseases board had some tips as well. I've taken out the affected leaves and laid down mulch, and the drier weather might help also.

It was suggested that I simply replace the two affected plants if they don't show signs of improvement. I've got some extra seedlings still growing inside (for just this purpose - as emergency back-ups). I'm going to harden off the plants and switch them out this weekend.

I should probably pickup a fungicide for just in case. My big concern is that I've got my little two-year-old running around the yard, and she's an ardent amateur gardener. Admittedly, 'gardening' to her means throwing leaves into the beds and digging up the marigolds, but she's trying. I can keep her in the house while I actually spray, but I obviously don't want to use anything that would pose any level of hazard to her.

Alan

Alan - That is good that you are concerned about your little daughter. I am also careful spraying and what I spray with, I only use things are are safe for us and those around us. Only spray when the bees are not around early morning or evening, if you isolate the tomatoes in pots is easier to care for them. You have a long season for tomatoes and should be okay. Good luck!

Silvia

Silvia, I'm sure that this has been asked (and answered) a million times on this forum and others, but have you any recommendations for safe insecticides and fungicides? I've seen various recipes/concoctions of oil and detergent blends floating around, but have you (or any other readers) any recommendations for what might be a really good choice for our native pests?

Alan

Alan - When you go shopping for any product, read the label first and see if it is safe to use it. You can find at any big box store the following products that I have used it before, remember there is no one cure for all, but it helps.
Neem - use it as a fungicide and some insect control
BT - use it for caterpillar control

Currently I am using serenade for disease and spinosad for some bugs. When I mix the 2 together, I also add a few drops of Dr Bonners castile peppermint soap.

I copied this recipe long time ago from Al (container forum) he said uses for whitefly, personally I have not used it.

1 quart
1 pint very hot water
1 teaspoon neem oil (cold pressed or virgin only)
4 drops Murphy's oil soap (or dishsoap)
Shake well and add 1 pint of 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
Shake frequently while spraying.

When using any new product or recipe try it on a few leaves and see if it is safe for the rest. I don't spray flowers or herbs. Hope it helps.

Silvia

Alan, after I posted the recipe I hope that I copied it right, it was a long time ago and can not find it anymore, if I did not copied correctly, please don't sue me,lol.
There are also insecticidal soaps that are safe, like I said read the labels, that is what I do, even when I buy food, it takes longer to shop but that is the only way to be safe, you and your family.

Silvia