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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Trouble in the garden




We have trouble in paradise! Out of the 14 tomato plants we have which were grown from seeds, these few show signs of sickness. After much research I have narrowed it down to three different diseases that it could be..... Can you identify what each plant might have?


  1. Verticuillium wilt- This name can be misleading, as sometimes the leaves will turn yellow, dry up and never appear to wilt. Verticillium wilt is caused by a soil-borne fungus and it can affect many different vegetables. The fungus can persist in the soil for many years, so crop rotation and selection of resistant varieties is crucial. Symptoms include: wilting during the hottest part of the day and recovering at night, yellowing and eventually browning between the leaf veins starting with the older, lower leaves and discoloration inside the stems. Verticillium Wilt inhibits the plants ability to take in water and nutrients and will eventually kill the plant. Verticillium wilt is more pronounced in cool weather. (Verticillium wilt can often be confused with Fusarium wilt.)
  2. Gray leaf spot- Gray Leaf Spot affects only the leaves of tomatoes, starting with the oldest leaves. Symptoms: Small, dark spots that can be seen on both the top and bottom surfaces of the leaves. The spots enlarge and turn a grayish brown. Eventually the centers of the spots crack and fall out. Surrounding leaf areas will turn yellow and the leaves will dry and drop. Fruit production is inhibited.
  3. Bacterial speck- There are several bacterial problems that affect tomatoes including Bacterial Speck. Symptoms: Tiny, raised, dark spots, usually with a white border.


Two of the three are incurable which would suck given the trouble I've had just to get them to grow.  The third can be treated with copper spray BUT I'm unsure what these babies have.





Help a sister out















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