Knowledgebase

What is killing my tomatoes? Is it a bacterial infection? #879936

Asked August 02, 2024, 3:04 PM EDT

Hi, we have 40 or so tomato plants in a community garden plot and they are nearly all dying from the ground up. The varieties are Roma, San Marzano, and Opalka. Is this a bacterial infection, and if so, what (if anything) can be done to mitigate? We are currently cutting and removing diseased branches, but it is killing them faster than they are producing fruit. Thanks for any advice. Regards, Rochester Gardner

Olmsted County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for the comprehensive description of what you are seeing. From your photos I think it is early blight or septoria. Both are fungal diseases, picking off infected leaves, mulching under the plants and watering at the base of the plants will help. The hot, steamy, rainy weather is perfect for fungal diseases and hard to counteract. If you decide to use a fungicide and if your community garden doesn’t prohibit use fungicides are listed in the fact sheets. Double check the symptoms against what you are observing. Looking at the actual plant is always better.

https://ag.purdue.edu/department/arge/swpap/tomato-diseases.html

https://extension.umn.edu/plant-diseases/tomato-leaf-spot-diseases

https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/early-blight-tomato-and-potato
Evelyn Locke, MN Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor, Volunteer Replied August 03, 2024, 7:28 AM EDT

Loading ...