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Tomato Pests & Diseases

Edges of older leaves degrading/being eaten?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hello

I have about 8 tomato plants in chicago. It has been wet here all the past month. The ones in the pictures have been with me for a month now. I also have 6 smaller plants that are about a week old to me. But, they are showing the same symptoms just less than the big ones

Symptoms include black spots on surface of older leaves

Some circles cut out

Leaves almost drying out and having edges gone.

What I've been trying since I found spider mites,

Neem oil once. Light amount

Insecticidal soap on leaves daily

Azamax once at low dosage because the bugs were all over the place.

I still see the little spider mites. I'm afraid all the rain may have made the plant able to get some kind of mold of bacteria and that spread to the others. It also could be bugs.

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Comments (4)

southport832
Original Author
8 years ago
jean001a
8 years ago
The tan spots are either mechanical damage or ran short of water.
A few small holes are not a problem. Further, you have to ID the critter(s) before you stat shooting at it.

Why are you using insecticidal soap daily? If you don't stop, you're likely to damage the plants further.

Maintain the growing mix evenly moist.
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jbclem
8 years ago
You have good eyes if you can see spider mites. You don't mention it, but are you looking (and spraying) the undersides of the leaves? Because that's where the spider mites are...although they also will be moving up the stems. On the plants where I have spider mites (green beans, eggplant, peas) I spray with Safer's Soap every 4-6 days, the idea is that you kill most of them with the first spray, and when their eggs hatch you spray again. Strangely, my tomatoes don't have spider mites.

One way to check for spider mites, put a white piece of paper under a leaf and hit/tap the top of the leaf with your hand/fingers. Little black dots will fall on the paper and sometimes move around. Rub them with your finger and you'll get a little strip of blood.

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southport832
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Someone with a very large scale farm said daily insecticidal soap is fine if I wanted to. Although I have not.

That doesn't sound like the mites that I am seeing. Who knows what they are. not seeing really a lot of affects on the plants. I think there may be a tree or something in the area that's attracting bugs, because they're all over our yards.

The person with the farm said they might have a vitamin K deficiency but I should stop worrying because the rain is really the problem.

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