DIAGNOSING GENERAL TOMATO PROBLEMS

DIAGNOSING GENERAL TOMATO PROBLEMS

We are receiving many inquiries concerning problems with tomato plants. The following chart prepared by the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension will help you do a quick analysis of your tomato plants. Colored pictures and control measures for the various problems can be found at

http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/B1285.htm

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/Garden/02949.html

Contact Cobb Extension at 770 528-4070 for more information or help in identifying problems.

LEAVES

Description	Symptoms	Diagnosis
Purple	Leaves with purple veins and overall purplish tint. Early season, cool temperatures. No insects present.	Phosphorus deficiency
	Leaflets roll upward and develop a purplish color, especially along the veins.	Curly top virus
Yellowed	Slight distortion, purpling of veins. Zigzag stem and branching pattern. Check underside of leaves for insects.	Psyllids
	Infected plants turn yellow and soon stop growing.	Curly top virus
	Small holes, approximately 0.5 mm	Flea beetle
	Chewing injury on leaves.	Tomato/tobacco hornworm
	Black or dark brown spots. Lesions have margins or concentric rings. Lower leaves commonly affected.	Early blight (Alternaria)
	Spots on leaves with white or gray centers surrounded by dark black or brown margins.	Septoria leaf spot
	Honeydew produced and White insects fly away Black, rosy or green insects present	Whiteflies Aphids
	Leaf scorching.	Check watering, ambient temperature, salts, etc.
	No signs of insect or disease present.	Checks stems, roots and vascular system *.
	Vascular system discolored.	See wilting section.
Distorted	Curling, shoestringing, cupping and Herbicides applied recently Plants stunted, no herbicides applied	Herbicide injury Cucumber mosaic virus
Wilted *	Vascular streaking evident along entire length of stem.	Fusarium wilt
	Vascular streaking evident only in the crown (first 12 inches of stem).	Fusarium crown rot
	Lower leaves turn down, leaf edges brown.	Bacterial canker
	Leaf spotting, concentric rings and margins may or may not be present, leaf tissue stiff, no flaccid.	Tomato spotted wilt virus/ impatiens necrotic spot virus
	No vascular streaking.	Check roots and soil moisture
	Roots discolored, mushy,	See root section.

* Check roots for rot and cut the stem to look inside the stem tissue.

STEMS

Symptoms	Diagnosis
Black or dark cankers on stem. (Submit samples to Extension for evaluation.)	Early blight (Alternaria), tomato spotted wilt virus/impatiens necrotic spot virus, bacterial canker.

ROOTS

Symptoms	Diagnosis
Roots discolored, mushy.	Root rot. Check soil moisture and watering.

FRUIT

Description	Symptoms	Diagnosis
Spots, circles or blotches	Ring spots on fruit	Tomato spotted wilt
	Dark pinpricks surrounded by a light, discolored area on green fruit. These areas turn yellow or remain green on ripe fruit. The tissue under the spots is white and spongy and remains firm as the fruit ripens.	Stink bugs
	White, leathery areas.	Sunscald
	Blotches on the shoulder of the fruit.	Green/yellow shoulders
	Small, white to yellow, raised blotches on fruit, often called bird’s eye.	Bacterial canker
Distorted	Yellowing or not, with necrotic areas or not.	Catfacing
	Blossom end flattened and black	Blossom end rot
	Yellowing	Psyllids
	Ring spots on fruit	Tomato spotted wilt virus/impatiens necrotic spot virus

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