Tomato plant question - Ask Extension
I live in a suburb of Cleveland and would like to know what the hardiest indeterminate tomato plant varieties for this area would be, specifically one...
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Tomato plant question #868597
Asked May 15, 2024, 4:27 PM EDT
I live in a suburb of Cleveland and would like to know what the hardiest indeterminate tomato plant varieties for this area would be, specifically ones that are the most resistant to disease. I usually plant Early Girls (tried Goliaths too), and they start out great and healthy and become vibrant full-grown plants, but then later in the summer the leaves begin turning yellow and then black spots appear on the leaves, and then finally the leaves just curl up and die. I know that moisture on a tomato plant's leaves can attract disease, so I always position the plants far enough away from each other so that they can dry out quickly after rain. I also water the plants close to the ground so the leaves don't get wet and I use clean grass clippings as mulch so no organisms from the soil can splash up onto the leaves. For fertilizer I use Tomato-tone. I feel like I'm doing everything that I can to help the plants stay healthy through the growing season, but inevitably, like I said earlier, they begin to falter.
Thank you
Cuyahoga County Ohio
Expert Response
Good day! I have a few questions for you:
1. Is it just the leaves that turn color and fall off? Or does the whole plant die?
2. Are you planting your tomatoes in the same place each year?
The reason I ask question #1 is that it could be the cause of a fungus or a wilt.
The reason for question #2 is that with a fungus, if you rotate your crops to other areas of your garden, with proper sanitation, the fungus might go away without the use of a fungicide. If it's a wilt, once it's in the soil, it doesn't go away meaning you can never plant anything in the tomato "family" (Solanaceae, which includes peppers, eggplant & potatoes) in that area again as the disease will affect all members of the "family."
If you haven't had a soil test, I highly recommend it. I've included the link for Cuyahoga Extension Office where you can get a soil test. They can also help you to interpret the results. Tomatoes really like a pH of 6.5-6.8 - get a soil test.
Soil Testing | Cuyahoga (osu.edu)
I've found several cultivars of tomatoes:
All-American Selections are grown/tested throughout the country. For the Great Lakes region, Zenzei Roma tomato & Chef's Choice Pink were the "winners."
There's also a variety recommended for Ohio (via Ohio State University): Early Girl, Better Boy, Jet Star, Big Beef, Super Sonic, Lemon Boy (a yellow tomato) & for cherry tomatoes try Sweet 100 and/or Sun Sugar.
Let me know the answer to my 2 questions so that I can give you better growing advice.
1. Is it just the leaves that turn color and fall off? Or does the whole plant die?
2. Are you planting your tomatoes in the same place each year?
The reason I ask question #1 is that it could be the cause of a fungus or a wilt.
The reason for question #2 is that with a fungus, if you rotate your crops to other areas of your garden, with proper sanitation, the fungus might go away without the use of a fungicide. If it's a wilt, once it's in the soil, it doesn't go away meaning you can never plant anything in the tomato "family" (Solanaceae, which includes peppers, eggplant & potatoes) in that area again as the disease will affect all members of the "family."
If you haven't had a soil test, I highly recommend it. I've included the link for Cuyahoga Extension Office where you can get a soil test. They can also help you to interpret the results. Tomatoes really like a pH of 6.5-6.8 - get a soil test.
Soil Testing | Cuyahoga (osu.edu)
I've found several cultivars of tomatoes:
All-American Selections are grown/tested throughout the country. For the Great Lakes region, Zenzei Roma tomato & Chef's Choice Pink were the "winners."
There's also a variety recommended for Ohio (via Ohio State University): Early Girl, Better Boy, Jet Star, Big Beef, Super Sonic, Lemon Boy (a yellow tomato) & for cherry tomatoes try Sweet 100 and/or Sun Sugar.
Let me know the answer to my 2 questions so that I can give you better growing advice.
Thank you for your reply and all of the advice. I will definitely get a soil test. To answer your questions:
(1) It's just the leaves that change to a yellow color with black spots. It's a gradual process that starts near the bottom part of the plant and works its way upward. So it's not all of the leaves turning yellow and developing black spots at the same time. At the beginning of this process, the top half, or so, of the plant remains healthy looking for a while until its leaves start to change color as well.
(2) Yes, I've been planting my tomatoes in the same place each year.
If it helps, we have planted peppers in the same garden with the tomatoes and they always do well.
Thank you for your reply and all of the advice. I will definitely get a soil test. To answer your questions:
(1) It's just the leaves that change to a yellow color with black spots. It's a gradual process that starts near the bottom part of the plant and works its way upward. So it's not all of the leaves turning yellow and developing black spots at the same time. At the beginning of this process, the top half, or so, of the plant remains healthy looking for a while until its leaves start to change color too.
(2) Yes, I've been planting my tomatoes in the same place each year.
If it helps, we have planted peppers in the same garden with the tomatoes and they always do well.
(1) It's just the leaves that change to a yellow color with black spots. It's a gradual process that starts near the bottom part of the plant and works its way upward. So it's not all of the leaves turning yellow and developing black spots at the same time. At the beginning of this process, the top half, or so, of the plant remains healthy looking for a while until its leaves start to change color too.
(2) Yes, I've been planting my tomatoes in the same place each year.
If it helps, we have planted peppers in the same garden with the tomatoes and they always do well.
Crop rotation is a very important strategy for preventing disease in plants. When you rotate your crops, you are not planting plants in the same family in the same place. Example: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant & potatoes are in the same family; so where you plant your tomatoes, the next year, you would plant cucumbers or squash or beans. Don't plant things in the same spot for 3 years in order to cut down on disease.
I think from your description that your tomatoes have Septoria Leaf Spot, a fungus. The fungus is active during periods of high humidity (summer!) and is spread via water (be it from rain or irrigation that splashes on the fungus spores [which are on the leaves] causing them to spread to other parts of the plant or to other plants). You can use a fungicide to help prevent the disease. The ones recommended for Septoria Leaf Spot are chlorothalonil, mancozeb, and copper fungicide. You can check at your local plant nursery or box store for the chemicals. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is the label IS the law! Follow all instructions on the label; wear protective equipment (long sleeves, pants, eye protection & make use of those masks that we all have now) when you use chemicals.
At the end of the growing season, clean up all plant debris and put it in the trash. Don't put it in a compost bin or in the yard waste bags as that will help spread the disease.
I think from your description that your tomatoes have Septoria Leaf Spot, a fungus. The fungus is active during periods of high humidity (summer!) and is spread via water (be it from rain or irrigation that splashes on the fungus spores [which are on the leaves] causing them to spread to other parts of the plant or to other plants). You can use a fungicide to help prevent the disease. The ones recommended for Septoria Leaf Spot are chlorothalonil, mancozeb, and copper fungicide. You can check at your local plant nursery or box store for the chemicals. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is the label IS the law! Follow all instructions on the label; wear protective equipment (long sleeves, pants, eye protection & make use of those masks that we all have now) when you use chemicals.
At the end of the growing season, clean up all plant debris and put it in the trash. Don't put it in a compost bin or in the yard waste bags as that will help spread the disease.
