skip to main content

Oklahoma Gardening

HELP! bacterial speck on tomato plants again

14 years ago

I have the same issue as last year and am confused but have identified what it is I think. In an earlier post about heirloom tomatoes I first time signed on with issues I have had for years including black small spots on tomatoes.

Some of plants have the lower leaves with very small brown spots (almost pinholes in size) all over and the tops are beautiful. In looking at a post by okiedawn last year I saw a picture that looks like my problem. Will Daconil help? What is copper spray as I am a tomato dummy regarding that? Is that my best cure and how do I apply and how often? Should I pinch off the infected/bad branches or will this not help? The only overhead spray comes from rain. My camera is dead so sorry no pics at this time, but I am in a tomato fever panic. LOL Why do I keep trying in OK? By the way I have cut back on watering and have a few small tomatoes, yeah! Thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

Okiedawn OK Zone 7
14 years ago
Okiebaker,

Aw, c'mon now, tomato fever panic never cured anything, so relax and repeat after me "Growing tomatoes is fun and relaxing". Good. Now say it again. Take a deep breath. Feel better yet?

Daconil is an anti-fungal agent. It coats the leaves and prevents fungal spores from attaching. It is not effective on bacterial infections.

Copper spray is a fungicide/bactericide and is what you use for bacterial diseases on your tomato plants, whether you have bacterial speck or bacterial spot. The label of the product you purchase will give you the proper dilution rates and spray intervals. You can purchase copper products at nurseries, garden centers, big box stores or online. Be careful not to overuse copper because heavy overuse can cause copper to build up to toxic levels in your soil. Also, copper is toxic to earthworms and to aquatic life, so try not to develop an overdependence on it.

Whether or not to remove the infected branch is a matter of choice. I tend to do it, but some folks don't. Be careful when removing it and do not touch anything else with your hands or your pruners until you've washed both or you could spreadthe bacteria to everything you or the pruning shears touch. Also, it is a judgement call in terms of removing a disease branch and how many to remove. If you remove too many, the plant will suffer a serious setback and developing fruit may lost its sun protection and develop sunscald.

Most plants bounce back from bacterial speck and bacterial spot with minimal treatment.

In future years, you should rotate your tomato plantings to another part of the garden or yard. If you repeatedly plant them in the same place, they'll have bacterial problems every year because it will build up in the soil. A 3-year or 4-year rotation is best, but even a 2-year rotation is better than nothing.

Good luck,

Dawn
Related Discussions
bacterial spot or speck?what to do
Q
Comments (1)
some have what to appers to be halos,you can see dark spots on the under side of the leaves also, it almost looks like pollen on the surfaces,but will not wash off). I looked at the tomato problem solver and I beleive that I have contracted bacterial spot or speck. I have about 50 plant in a 5x5 area and only I have to go with your diagnosis based on your looking at the Problem Solver pictures. Dark spots on top of the leaf surface with yellow halos I understand. Dark spots on the bottom of the leaf I don't b'c foliage diseases aren't usually defined that way. And I don't understand your reference to yellow pollen like material on the leaf surface. Could you please say more about that? Do you mean the area that we'd call the halo? it doesn't matter if it's Bacterial Speck or Spot b'c both would be treated the same way. And about the only thing a home grower has to use are copper containing preps such as Kocide, or similar. If it were me I'd spread out those 48 plants so that they have more room between them so that air circulation would be improved. Hopefully you can stop any new airborne infections from taking hold, but I must say that seldom have I seen a bunch of plants in ONE area where only TWO of them get infected and the others don't b/c all of them would be exposed to the same air that had the bacteria. All new foliage infections are acquired via airborne means, as opposed to splashback infection from contaminated soil from infections in a rpevious year. So I admit that I'm a bit puzzled here. Carolyn
...See More
TSWV, bacterial speck, or something Daconil will take care of?
Q
Comments (10)
I'd say you're thinking in the right ways on these, Mark. Those purple spots on Coyote look bad to me, and when you added in the curled top growth I said immediately, "I'd yank it." Bacterial speck tends to be more toward the bottom and black, not purplish... and it can't cause that distortion. Only two things cause new growth like that in tomatoes: herbicide or virus. I'd pull it. The second one is borderline; the real question is where the symptoms are showing up. Virus spots tend to show on newer growth, while bacterial and fungal things often show up more on the lower, older leaves. If you're getting leaves halfway up the plant or higher with that netting effect, while the leaves below are better or unaffected, I'd be betting on TSWV. If you feel daring, leave it in until it starts to stunt, and then you can be sure. The last pic looks like Early Blight -- the broad halo is indeed a classic fungal symptom, and the edge-placement and brown dead area suggest Alternaria. Give the Daconil a try and pick off the affected leaves; mulching and clearing out the lower foliage may help as well. It's always hard to pull plants, but you're doing well at keeping on top of things, looks like. Good luck. --Alison
...See More
can I save the seeds of a tomato that had blight /bacterial speck
Q
Comments (2)
You can save seed from your plants. If conditions are right, those diseases can show up regardless, so there is no reason to get new seed (that might also be carrying disease) from somewhere else next year. If you ferment the seeds for a few days before rinsing and drying them, that will greatly reduce the amount of disease that might be carried over on them. It will also get rid of the gel that surrounds the seeds, which contains a substance that inhibits germination.
...See More
Bacterial Speck & Seed Saving
Q
Comments (5)
Will the plants grown next year from the saved seeds make for poor germination? Poor growth? Make the tomatoes more prone to getting bacterial speck? **** No, germination will not be poorer and growth will not be poorer and the tomatoes will not be more prone to getting Bacterial Speck. ( smile) Over the years I've had more problems with the fungal foliage diseases than the bacterial ones and have almost always had to save seeds from plants with foliage diseases, as have almost everyone I know of. I know some folks do a bleach after fermentation but I never have b'c personally I don't think it accomplishes that much, but that's just my own personal opinion. And my just fermented seeds have been fine based on feedback. But of course it's your choice on whether or not you want to take that extra step. Carolyn
...See More

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

LIFE Kitchen Traditions: Tomato Season Meets a Family Legacy

By Tiffany Carboni

Somewhere a Sicilian great-great-grandmother is smiling at a bowl of American-made sauce

PETS 6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian

MOST POPULAR 7 Ways to Design Your Kitchen to Help You Lose Weight

By Mitchell Parker

In his new book, Slim by Design, eating-behavior expert Brian Wansink shows us how to get our kitchens working better

SELLING YOUR HOUSE 10 Tricks to Help Your Bathroom Sell Your House

By Mink Home Staging

As with the kitchen, the bathroom is always a high priority for home buyers. Here’s how to showcase your bathroom so it looks its best

EDIBLE GARDENS Garden BFFs? Why Your Vegetables Are Begging for Companion Plants

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Foster friendships among plants for protection from pests, pollination support and color camaraderie

EDIBLE GARDENS Great Design Plant: Roselle Tantalizes With Beauty and Flavor

By Steve Asbell

Call it a fruit or a flower or a sweet vegetable. This hibiscus is so lovely, all that matters is calling it forth in your garden

FARM YOUR YARD How to Build a Raised Bed for Your Veggies and Plants

By Annie Thornton

Whether you’re farming your parking strip or beautifying your backyard, a planting box you make yourself can come in mighty handy

GARDENING GUIDES 12 Edibles Perfect to Plant in Late Summer

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep those homegrown vegetables and greens coming well into fall

FALL GARDENING Why Fall Is the Best Time for Planting

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Spring is overrated for planting. Starting plants in autumn has advantages for both garden and gardener

Sponsored

Whispering Pine Construction

Franklin County's Top Choice for Reliable Outdoor Construction

More Discussions

2024 February week 1

92

February Week 3

74

February Week 4--Leap Day and into March

75

April 2024 week one

73

Earth Day April Week 4

54