Common Tomato Diseases: How to Identify and Treat Them 22′

There’s no doubt that growing tomatoes on your own is a very fun and wonderful experience. Tomatoes usually grow themselves if you provide them with the right conditions, making them an easy plant to grow.

Common Tomato Diseases: However, every once in a while, issues tend to creep in. And you should be prepared to deal with them and keep these issues at bay.

Diseases and pests can harm your plants, and if you do not know how to deal with them, your tomato plant will die very quickly.

So read on to learn all about how these pests and diseases affect your plant and what you can do to treat them.

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Why Do Tomatoes Get Disorders And Diseases?

Diseases, pests, and fungi can destroy your plant and leave your entire field in ruins. You can often rescue your homegrown tomatoes, but in most circumstances, you will have to destroy them because of the damage caused by diseases and pests.

So what exactly causes tomato plants to catch diseases, fungus, and pests? Possible factors include:

• Over-pruning
• Inadequate amount of fertilizer
• Excessive water or not enough water
• Inadequate amount of calcium
• Watering your tomatoes overhead instead of at the base
• Planting before the ideal temperature
• Lack of air around the tomatoes

How Can You Identify Problems In Tomato Plants?

You now know that pests, fungus, and other diseases can destroy your plants, but you should also know how to identify plant problems. This will make it easier to figure out what went wrong with the plant, which, in turn, will allow you to provide it with the right treatment.

There are three steps to identifying problems in your tomatoes:

1. Identify The Part Affected: The first step you need to do is figure out what part of the plant is affected by pests, diseases, or other conditions. Find out whether it is the tomato itself or if it’s the stems, roots, flowers, or leaves.
2. Spot The Difference: Now compare your damaged plant to the healthy one and note any differences they may have. For example, a healthy plant should have medium-green and soft leaves. So if your damaged plant has leaves with brown patches, chewed edges, and mold growing on it, then make a note of this before moving forward with the next step.
3. Search For Insects: Look for any sign of movement of insects and identify them. If you need help in identifying, type their description on the internet or take their picture to a gardener for help. You can also use the information below to figure out if pests are the culprit or if your plants have some disease.

Armed with these three steps, you can easily identify common issues with your tomato plant and treat them in the right way.

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Pests And Diseases: How To Spot What Ruined Your Plants

Once you follow the three steps above, the next step is finding out what harmed your tomatoes. This helps in figuring out if it is bacteria, fungi, pests, or something else entirely that ruined your plants. Here are some sure signs of diseases and pests:

5 Signs Of Disease Damage

• Leave tips tend to turn brown and shrivel or curl up
• Seedlings bend at the base of the step after the germination procedure
• Leaves turn yellowish and start having blackish-brown spots on them all over
• Fruits become moldy or have rotted stems
• The leaf surface starts to develop a white film all over it

3 Signs Of Pest Damage

• Fruits or leaves have holes or are eaten partially
• Animals, caterpillars, eggs, or larvae are visible, or there is an insect track present
• The seedlings disappear completely

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How To Treat Common Tomato Diseases

Now that you know all about common tomato diseases and how they occur, let’s focus on treating them. There are many different treatment methods that you can use to make sure your tomatoes grow healthy and perfectly red, but the most effective is with the help of pest control spray.

These sprays help control many different diseases and ensure immediate effect. But the question is, which pest control spray should you buy?

Well, read on below to know the 6 best pest control sprays present today.

1. Natria 707100 Insect, Disease & Mite Control For Outdoor And Indoor Plants – Best Pest Control Overall

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It also allows you to control powdery mildew, black spot, blight, leaf spot, rust, and brown rot.

Since it is safe for the people and the environment, you can use it both indoors and outdoors without any worry. It is also very easy to use and keeps common tomato diseases away.

Liquid Volume: 24 Fl Oz

Use On: Vegetables, flowers, roses, shrubs, fruits, and houseplants

Controls: Insects, diseases, and mites

Style: Ready to use

This spray ensures complete organic gardening, which is why you can use it on your plants up to the day of harvest. With the help of Natria, you can say goodbye to a wide range of pests and diseases today and make your harvest perfect.

Pros

• Ready-to-use design ensures quick application
• Provides 3-in-1 protection from insects, diseases, and mites
• Ensures organic gardening due to safe ingredients

2. BioAdvanced 701520A Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control For Gardening – Runner-Up Pest Control 

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Not only that, but BioAdvanced also helps prevent new infestations and provides season-long protection with a single application. The best part about this liquid is that it also has rainproof protection, so you don’t have to worry about it washing off during the rainy season. So as soon as you spot insects or pests feeding on your fruits or vegetables, use this spray right away.

Liquid Volume: 32 Fl Oz

Use On: Fruits, nuts, and vegetables

Controls: Insects

Style: Concentrate

If you are tired of insects ruining your tomatoes, berries, and grapes, this BioAdvanced pest control is designed for you. Say goodbye to all insects and infestations with this spray today.

Pros

• Ensures season-long protection
• Comes with a systemic rainproof formula
• Kills insects and also prevents new infestations

3. Bonide Tomato & Vegetable 3-in-1 – Best Pest Control In Terms of Value

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You can spray it all over the plant and watch as this pest liquid works its magic. Due to its high-quality ingredients, you can use Bonide up until the day of the harvest. It is also suitable for indoor plants.

Liquid Volume: 32 Fl Oz

Use On: Tomatoes, fruits, and vegetables

Controls: Fungal diseases, mites, and insects

Style: Ready to use

The Bonnie spray is ideal for insects, fungal diseases, and mites. It contains pyrethrin and sulfur, which are safe for indoor and outdoor use and don’t cause you harm. Also, due to its safe formula, you can use this spray until the day before the harvest and keep all forms of danger away from your vegetation.

Pros

• Can deal with all fungal diseases effectively right away
• Comes at an affordable price point
• Safe to use indoors and outdoors

4. Emily’s Naturals Need Oil Plant Spray Kit – Best Pest Control Complete Kit

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You also get a 16 oz spray bottle and three packets of each ingredient. This allows you to make your own plant spray kit and alter the strength of the pesticide according to your requirement. So, you can easily create a pest spray as strong as you want and deal with the insects or make a diluted solution and regularly spray your plantation so that it doesn’t get infested.

Liquid Volume: 48 Fl Oz

Use On: Garden plants and houseplants

Controls: Insects and mites

Style: Concentrate

This pest spray is a biodegradable and natural product. It ensures organic gardening, making your plants safe to consume, and it can even be used near humans and pets.

Pros

• Allows you to alter the strength according to your needs
• All-purpose garden treatment for organic gardening
• Very easy to use; simply mix it and spray

5. Spectracide 100507462 Immunox – Best Multi-Purpose Pest Control

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Spectracide is an excellent pesticide designed with a multi-purpose formula to cure and prevent major diseases. It can be used on flowers, roses, and even ornamental shrubs to prevent it from being infected.

With the help of Spectracide, you can control rust, powdery mildew, brown patch, black spot, scab, leaf spots, molds, and more. The best part about this liquid is once the spray dries onto the vegetation, it cannot be washed away even if it rains. Their money-back guarantee ensures you get effective results with this product.

Liquid Volume: 16 Fl Oz

Use On: Fruits, vegetables, lawns, trees, ornamentals, and nuts

Controls: Major diseases

Style: Concentrate

Spectracide is a multipurpose and effective formula designed for use in your garden. It can prevent and deal with all major diseases and comes with a money-back guarantee. It also allows you to make concentrated solutions on your own, depending on how strong you want the pesticide to be.

Pros

• Money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied
• Rainproof and doesn’t get off once it dries
• Allows you to decide how concentrated you want the pesticide to be

6. Bonide (BND883) Fungal Disease – Best Pest Control For Fungal Virus

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Bonide is a ready-to-use spray designed for treating fungal diseases on plants and vegetables. It can be used on various different plants, including potatoes, tomatoes, corn, beans, maple trees, daisies, roses, eucalyptus, and more. With the help of this pest control, you can say goodbye to botrytis blights, powdery mildew, black spots, anthracnose, and many more diseases. The active ingredient in this spray is Chlorothalonil that is used as a fungicide and is very effective.

Liquid Volume: 32 Fl Oz

Use On: Vegetables, fruit, flowers, trees, shrubs

Controls: Plant diseases

Style: Ready to use

This Bonide spray is a broad-spectrum fungicide that can deal with various plant diseases at once. It comes ready to use, so you do not have to pour or mix this product on your own. It is safe to use on fruits, vegetables, and even ornamental plants and is a great pest solution for your garden and home lawn.

Pros

• An effective broad-spectrum fungicide
• Can be used on various plants
• Deals with and controls diseases to protect your garden

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Tomato Plant Diseases And Problems

Tomatoes can rot due to different reasons, such as fungus diseases, viral diseases, bacterial diseases, and even environmental conditions.

However, the issue arises when you have no idea what is happening to your tomatoes, and you continue to grow and water the plant. This is where it’s important to learn about the diseases and issues tomatoes can have so that you can identify them as soon as you spot them.

Let’s enter the world of tomato diseases and problems to learn all about the common issues you might come across with your plant:

Fungus Diseases

Just like other plants, there are different fungi that can attack and infect tomatoes. These fungi can attack stems, leaves, flowers, roots, and all other parts of the plant and cause your tomatoes to wilt and die. Common fungal diseases that can harm your plants include:

Early Blight

Early Blight is caused by a fungus called Alternaria solani and is usually present in the soil. The first sign of early blight is the appearance of brown spots on the lower leaves, and often the tissue around the brown spots becomes yellowish.

As you know, fungi are present in the soil. Spores of fungi are splashed onto your plants when it rains, which is why the rainy season is followed by early blight. Sometimes, it can even be airborne.

To deal with this issue, you must not compost the affected plants. Get rid of the affected tomatoes carefully and remove any debris that may have fallen on the soil. Then use a sulfur or copper spray to prevent the development of this fungus in the future.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium oxysporum is a pathogen that leads to another common tomato diseases known as the fusarium wilt. This disease is more common in the southern warmer region, and it can wipe out entire fields of tomatoes because of how quickly it spreads. The symptoms of fusarium wilt include drooping leaf stems and wilting branches.

Fusarium wilt first affects the lower part of the plant and then spreads until the whole plant dies. To be 100% sure that your plant is infected with fusarium wilt, simply cut the main stem and open it. Look for dark streaks running along the stem that indicate the presence of an infection.

To prevent this disease, plant-resistant varieties of tomatoes.

Septoria Leaf Spot

Septoria leaf spot is also called leak canker and can affect tomatoes along with early blight. The fungus, Septoria lycopersici, starts by affecting the lower leaves first and then moves upwards.

Septoria leaf spots appear as round, tiny splotches on the leaves, which are dark on the edges and lighter in the middle. Each leaf will have many different spots and will eventually change color from yellow to brown and die.

These spores can easily transfer, so you need to be careful when handling this disease. When dealing with septoria leaf spores, simply remove the diseased tomato plants from your field to prevent the spores from spreading. Also, clean and sanitize your gardening equipment and tools along with your clothes, so it doesn’t pass on. If the infection becomes severe, don’t hesitate to use a pesticide.

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium dahlia and V. albo-atrum are the main fungal pathogens behind this disease, and they are impossible to remove. These pathogens work very quickly and can infect different plants and even the soil for an indefinite period of time.

However, the infected plants do not always wilt, despite their name. The leaf first develops a yellow V-shaped design on it, and it then turns brown and dies. This causes the fruit to become sunscald and reduces the yield outcome.

As a farmer, it can be difficult for you to figure out the difference between a Verticillium wilt and a Fusarium wilt since they have very similar symptoms.

Anthracnose 

This is a very common tomato diseases, but it can infect other plants as well. In the case of tomatoes, the fungus Colletotrichum coccodes attacks the lower leaves and creates spores that can spread all the way to the fruit. This disease is very serious in the tomato industry, and since it affects ripe or overripe tomatoes, it even leads to a lot of damage if not controlled.

The symptoms of this disease include the appearance of round and small sunken spots first, which then start to get bigger and darker from the center. Many spots even merge as they get bigger and render the tomato useless.

Sometimes this fungus can splash onto the tomato from the soil because anthracnose is usually due to poorly drained soil and wet weather. Overripe tomatoes that come in contact with wet soil can also become susceptible to anthracnose.

To manage this fungal disease, simply remove at least 13 inches of lower leaves so that they do not come in contact with the soil and water. Make sure to cut only the base leaves and not the top ones.

Black Mold 

Black mold is a very serious disease that can affect perfectly ripe tomatoes while they are on the vine. This fungal infection is caused by Alternaria alternata. The first sign of this disease is the appearance of lesions on the surface of the tomatoes.

This fungus usually strikes right after the late-season rain or dew, and the fungal spores only need a maximum of 5 hours to germinate. After the germination period is over, the fungi can affect the fruit directly and damage your crops within four days.

So if black mold is a problem in your garden, you must start harvesting the tomatoes as soon as they are ripe and do not excessively irrigate them in the rainy season. Also, make use of fungicides during the rainy days to avoid this issue from occurring.

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Bacterial Diseases

Bacterial diseases in plants can be very destructive and harm both indoor and outdoor plants. They are usually introduced through an infected seed and can reproduce quickly and spread via insects, water, or gardening tools.

Keeping pests away and sanitizing gardening equipment can help in slowing down the spread of such diseases.

Speck

Bacterial speck is common in colder regions, and it dies down when the weather gets hot. However, the bacteria responsible for this disease can survive in the soil even in warm weather conditions. The debris from dead plants provides the bacteria a place to thrive.

The symptoms of this disease include black or dark brown lesions with a yellow halo around them, and it affects leaves, stems, and even fruit.

Fortunately, it is easy to control this disease with copper spray and a few simple tips. Simply try to plant tomatoes in the spring when the weather is warm. Make sure not to plant them where the disease was present. Also, some of these bacteria are now resistant to copper, which is why we recommend mixing it with another pesticide to kill off the bacteria.

Spot

A bacterial spot is an infection caused by the vesicatoria bacteria and causes spots to appear on both adult plants and seedlings. This disease is easy to confuse with bacterial speck. In fact, sometimes, it is misdiagnosed due to the similarities between the two.

Bacteria spots frequently spread from one plant to the next through infected seeds, and once the disease infects a garden, controlling it can become very difficult.

The spots on the plants have a large blotch-like appearance and look like they are water-soaked. Seedlings tend to lose their leaves, whereas, in mature plants, you can see spots on older leaves.

In order to deal with this issue, you will need to follow preventive cultural control tips and use copper spray. Also, avoid irrigating with a sprinkler because it can splash and spread bacteria on other plants nearby.

Canker

Bacterial canker is another bacterial disease that is very common in greenhouses, but it can affect home gardens and commercial fields as well. This disease can cause huge losses of yield and is usually spread through infected seeds.

The bacteria michiganensis is the culprit behind canker, and it can infect plants of all ages. This infection has two stages – a severe stage called a systemic infection and a less severe stage called the secondary infection.

In the severe stage, the bacteria spread all over the plant and cause it to grow weakly and even wilt. The leaves first start to curl, then become yellow and wilt, and finally, turn brown and die.

On the other hand, in secondary infection, the bacteria simply infect the surface of the fruit, stems, and leaves. This can cause some spots but does not kill the plant.

You must keep in mind that this disease is very difficult to control, and planting disease-free seeds is the only solution. Also, the infected plants must be treated with bactericide and copper to prevent systemic infections.

Water Mold Diseases

Water molds used to be classified as fungi, but they are now reclassified as Oomycetes, which is their own separate class. These pathogens can cause devastating effects on plants and ruin the entire yield. They also cause common tomato diseases, with the two most common ones being Late Blight and Buckeye.

Late Blight 

Late blight is one of the most destructive plant diseases for tomatoes. It is caused by a water mold known as Phytophthora infestans and can harm tomatoes as well as potatoes.

Fun fact: this is also the same organism that caused the Irish potato famine, which led to the death of millions of people.

Thankfully, this disease is not common, especially in colder regions. Late blight creates slimy and wet splotches or irregular shapes on the leaves. Usually, these splotches are present on the top leaves and the stem, and over time, the whole stem will rot and become slimy and black.

The spores for late blight spread very quickly. It is best to avoid purchasing southern tomatoes and potatoes if you do not want to introduce this disease in your garden. If this issue does find its way onto your tomatoes, there is very little you can do because it will spread, so make sure you tear out the plants and throw them out.

Buckeye 

This disease is caused by soil-borne pathogens known as P-capsici and Phytophthora parasitica. Since they are present in the soil, this disease can infect plants at any stage, especially if the soil is wet. The symptoms of this disease are the death of plant roots, which ultimately leads to the death of the plants.

Similar to late blight, buckeye is also common in the southern states and spreads in wet, warm periods. This disease affects ripe and green fruit and causes an enlarged brown spot on the tomato that resembles a buckeye.

In order to control this condition, you should keep the soil moisture consistent and provide it with good drainage to reduce the chances of flooding. Also, try to keep the soil surface dry, so there is less damage to the fruit or vegetable.

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Viral Diseases

This might come as a surprise to you, but tomatoes can also be infected by viruses. Viral infections usually lead to abnormal growth of the plant and are transmitted through insects and pests.

Alfalfa Mosaic Virus

AMV is a fatal disease that usually affects tomatoes grown in Alfalfa fields. Pests such as aphids transmit this disease to other tomato plants, and since there is no chemical control present for this disease, it can be devastating to deal with.

This infection causes the leaves to become yellow with some spots and affects the fruit as well. You may think that using pesticides can help deal with aphids and control the virus, but that is not the case. This infection cannot be controlled, and the only way to avoid it is to avoid planting tomatoes in this field.

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus

TSWV is another unique plant virus and has a wide host range. This virus originated from tropical areas and can affect vegetables and ornamentals. If your plant is infected with this virus, the leaves will change to bronze and then develop dead tissue spots all over it. It can even harm ripe tomatoes and make them blotchy, but they are still edible.

Tomato spotted wilt virus is spread by insects known as thrips. Unfortunately, these insects are very difficult to control. Insecticides do not harm the larvae, allowing them to grow and spread the virus. In order to keep thrips away from your garden, you can opt for plant-resistant tomato varieties.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus

The Tobacco Mosaic Virus is very persistent and can survive for over 100 years in dried plants. As the name suggests, TMV can be transmitted from tobacco products and mechanically as well and lead to huge losses.

The symptoms of this virus vary according to the strain, but a common sign of it is a mosaic pattern on the plant’s leaves and fruit, hence the name.

To avoid this disease, you should purchase seeds treated for the infection. You should also sterilize all your gardening equipment after dealing with TMV to prevent further spread.

Environmental Conditions 

Tomatoes are prone to diseases caused due to environmental conditions that can lead to physiological disorders and damage the growth of your plants. These disorders include:

Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot is a frightening disorder (and not an infection) that takes place in tomatoes. If you find a dark-colored spot at the end of your tomato that widens and deepens, then this is blossom end rot. This condition is caused due to environmental issues such as inadequate moisture or calcium deficiency in the soil.

The only way to treat this issue is by treating the soil properly before you plant your tomatoes. Make sure the soil has all the nutrients you need, along with moisture and liquid calcium. You can even use mulch to keep the moisture in place and use a hose for good irrigation.

Cracking

Cracking is a very frequent issue that causes a split at the end of the stem, and sometimes it cracks all the way to the blossom end. This is a very common issue in cherry tomatoes, but it does not bring along any other problem or disease.

There are several reasons why cracking occurs in tomatoes, but the most common reason is an increase in moisture after a very dry weather spell.

Radial cracking, which is cracks running towards the tomato stem, and concentric cracking, which is circular splitting from the stem end, are both very common in cherry tomatoes. Over time, the skin of the tomato gets less resilient as it grows, and eventually, the fruit tends to outgrow its skin. For this reason, we recommend picking cherry tomatoes before they are fully mature in order to avoid this problem.

Catfacing

If you find your tomatoes damaged from blossom end, this is clear evidence of catfacing. Cat-faced tomato plants are sometimes deformed to some extent, with minor scarring to even major deformities. The reason behind this issue is either damage inflected by an insect or extreme weather conditions while the plant is in its blossom stage.

That’s not all; catfacing can even take place due to herbicide exposure and high nitrogen levels in the soil. Cultivation that produces large tomato varieties is usually most susceptible to this issue. Catfacing renders your vegetation inedible but safe to consume. To avoid this disease, do not fertilize excessively and provide tomatoes with adequate water.

Sunscald

In sunscald, the skin on your tomatoes gets a leathery and bruised look and gets puckered and sunken in. As the name implies, this is a sunburn on a tomato, and it takes place if your plant is exposed to extreme heat and hot weather. Sunscald takes place on trellised and staked tomatoes since they are more belligerently pruned than free tomatoes.

If you want to prevent this issue from taking place, make sure you leave adequate foliage on the tomatoes when pruning them. You can also use a shade cloth to protect your plants and vegetables but keep in mind that once sun scald has affected your plant, there is nothing you can do to fix it or make it healthy again.

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Pests That Can Harm Tomatoes

Apart from viral, bacterial, and fungus infections, some pests can also damage your plantation. Even though there are plenty of pests present, there are a few common ones that are very active on the tomato field. These pests include:

Aphids

Aphids are the most common pests found on tomatoes, especially in spring and autumn when the weather is humid. These insects are small and green, but you can also find gray and black varieties as well.

Aphids are usually very slow-moving creatures. Some are wingless, whereas some have wings. They can carry viral diseases, which can quickly damage your plant and reduce yield. They also suck on the sap and reduce the vigor. You can easily deal with them by squashing them with your fingers or spraying soapy water onto them.

Thrips

Thrips do not harm tomatoes on their own, but they are carriers of viral disease, which can excessively damage plants. They are small and green, yellow or black in color. They have a torpedo shape and may or may not have wings. Plus, their mouthparts are very sharp, which allows them to slit the plant’s surface and suck the sap of flowers, leaves, and fruits.

If you have a spotted wilt virus problem in your garden, daily spraying is necessary in order to reduce the number of thrips. However, a severe thrip infestation is impossible to control as they are resistant to many pesticides.

Budworm

Budworm and cutworms are two types of caterpillars that can damage tomatoes and ruin your yield. Budworms are brown, green, or reddish-colored, 40mm long insects with tough skin. They create holes in the fruit and are very active in the summer seasons.

Killing these worms can get very difficult, which is why it’s better to handle their infestation early on. If you find small visible eggs on tomatoes, this means that an attack on the fruit is about to happen soon, so don’t hesitate to use pesticides. Keep in mind that smaller caterpillars are easier to deal with.

Cutworms 

As mentioned above, cutworms are a type of caterpillars that are a danger to tomatoes. They are present in the soil and hide during the day and come out at night to attack. They are incredibly dangerous and start the attack at the base of the plant, and over time they can make the entire plant collapse.

For this reason, it is essential that you prevent this attack by wrapping the plant base with a plastic cup or aluminum foil. Also, since these insects work at night, you can check your plants at night with a flashlight, and if you find any sign of these caterpillars at work, you can spray a pesticide spray right away.

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Conclusion

Reading the list of common tomato diseases can make you feel as if gardening is a very daunting task, but this is not the case. Pests and diseases remain at bay as long as you keep a healthy balance maintained in your garden with nutrition-rich soil and timely watering to your plants.

Growing tomatoes is hassle-free, and they usually grow on their own, but if you do see insects harming your vegetation, don’t hesitate in pulling out the big guns (read pesticides). So make use of the reviews and information present above and enjoy gardening your tomatoes!

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