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Tomato diseases
Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables grown in Colorado. To grow tomatoes
successfully, you need to be aware of three common disease or cultural practice problems.
Early season problems may begin with blossom end rot. An environmentally induced
abnormality, end rot occurs when temperatures are too cool during fruit set. As a result, the ends
of tomatoes don't develop, are flattened, and turn black or dark brown. Erratic watering habits
also contribute to this problem.
Early blight is a fungus that affects leaves throughout the summer. As plants begin to
grow and leaf material fills in and touches other plants, air circulation is reduced. The humid
microclimate that develops as a result of reduced air circulation is ideal for the early blight fungus. When the fungus is present, lower leaves begin to turn yellow and contain dark brown circular spots. To avoid the problem, be sure to allow adequate space between plants. Dusting with sulfur may help control severe disease problems.
Virus disease symptoms also may appear late in the season. Small white or yellow rings
on ripening fruit indicates the presence of tomato spotted wilt virus. Although the fruit is edible,
the disease may affect flavor and fruit production.
There is no control for viral diseases, other than plant removal. Whether or not disease is
present, it's wise to rotate tomatoes into another part of the Garden.
For more information, see the following Colorado State Extension fact sheet(s).
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