Knowledgebase
Leaves of Tomato Plant Appear to Have Some Type of Disease #875149
Asked June 28, 2024, 4:46 PM EDT
Good afternoon,
Are you able to identify what is going on with this tomato plant's leaves (pictures 1, 2 and 3)? It is growing in a large container and is an heirloom indeterminate plant. These particular leaves were close to the soil line. There are a few leaves up higher in the plant that are starting to get spots, otherwise the plant looks healthy.
Any insight you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Terry
P.S. I will be sending another Ask a Question for a green bean plant that has spots as well and is growing adjacent to the tomato plant.
Jackson County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
Spots on tomato leaves such as this often indicate septoria leaf spot or blight, two common diseases of tomato plants. Both are fungal diseases that rely on moisture to enable the disease to develop. They do typically start toward the bottom of the plant on older leaves and work their way up.
Here are a few links that can shed light on this issue:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/michigan_fresh_tomato_diseases_in_the_home_garden
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/septoria_leaf_spot_on_tomatoes_preventing_spots_before_your_eyes
https://plantpathology.ca.uky.edu/files/ppfs-vg-25.pdf
Planting heirloom varieties can sometimes make experiencing these diseases more common - depending on your gardening philosophy, you might feel that growing heirlooms is worth it no matter what, or you can choose varieties bred to be more resistant to these common diseases.
If you are interested in knowing precisely what you are dealing with, you can always send a sample to the MSU plant and pest diagnostics lab - here is a link with more information on their services and fees:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/services-fees/
Thank you for using Ask Extension and good luck!
