This time of year we have many calls about brown spots on tomatoes, squash, peppers, watermelons, etc. This is called blossom-end rot (BER), which is a nonparasitic disease of tomatoes and other fruiting vegetables. The first symptom is a slight water-soaked area on or near the blossom end of the fruit.
Why are the leaves on my tomato plants turning brown?
Why are the leaves on my tomato plants turning brown? Early in the season you may see brown or black spots on your tomato plant leaves. This is followed by dropped leaves and/or sunburned fruit.
One common answer is, Overwatering can cause blossom-end rot and especially if it has been a while since you last watered your tomato plants. Not watering your plants on a schedule causes inconsistent soil moisture levels leaving your tomatoes susceptible to blossom-end rot.
Some sources claimed even though the tomatoes are turning black on their bottoms, blossom end rot does not spoil the entire fruit. It is fine to cut away the affected portion of a tomato and eat the rest . Your best bet for treating blossom end rot is to adjust your watering to make sure you are using good watering practices.
One idea is that if the soil around your plant is infested with pest nematodes, they will feed on the roots and cause them to swell up. This causes plants to become stunted, and it causes the leaves to become discolored. Tomato plants affected by bad nematodes will still produce tomatoes.
What causes brown spots on tomato leaves?
What it looks like: You’ll find brown spots on tomato leaves, starting with the older ones. Each spot starts to develop rings, like a target. Leaves turn yellow around the brown spots, then the entire leaf turns brown and falls off. Eventually the plant may have few, if any, leaves. What causes it: A fungus called Alternaria solani .
Another thing we wondered was; what are the black spots on my tomato plants?
One way to think about this is early in the season you may see brown or black spots on your tomato plant leaves. This is followed by dropped leaves and/or sunburned fruit. These are all symptoms of Early Blight, which is a fungus that lingers in leaf litter through the winter and is present to attack young tomato plants early in the growing season.
How do you know when a tomato has gone bad?
The first sign is a light brown discoloration near the bottom of the fruit. These spots grow and darken until they cover up to half of the tomato, and the rotting fruit becomes vulnerable to secondary bacteria and fungi .
Another popular question is “How do you tell if a tomato plant is dying?”.
The answer is that lower leaves will also curl up and you may see light brown streaks on the stems of your plant. How do you save a dying tomato plant? Give your tomato plants one inch of water each week ; with any less, they will wilt.
What does late blight look like on a tomato plant?
Late Blight on tomatoes Leaves develop brown patches that turn dry and papery when they become infected with late blight. Sometimes a white mold grows along the edges of the brown patches. If your tomato plants have late blight you will also notice blackened areas along the stems and the tomatoes develop hard brown lesions .
You should be asking “What does early blight look like on tomato plants?”
One common answer is, Early Blight What it looks like: You’ll find brown spots on tomato leaves, starting with the older ones. Each spot starts to develop rings, like a target. Leaves turn yellow around the brown spots, then the entire leaf turns brown and falls off. Eventually the plant may have few, if any, leaves.