Brown spots and purpling leaves

[Kazedwards]

So it’s been super hot here. Very humid and high 90s. Then last weekend we had a much needed heavy rain and things cooled down a bit. Now it’s been in the high 80s with lows in the 60s and now I’m starting to see some issues starting. First my “Black from Tula” plant is very purple. From top to bottom all the leaves have a very purple hue. Some of the other plants have some purpling but it’s not as bad as it is in the BfT. I at first thought it was bc of the sudden cooler nights but now I’m thinking it’s a deficiency maybe in phosphorus.

Now the other issue is maybe late blight? I have not really had to deal with any disease issues in the previous years of growing tomatoes so I’m great at figuring out what’s going on. My main concern is that it is on the top new growth of the plants. I plan on pruning it off but I’ll end up topping most of the plants when I do. Any help please?


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[Kazedwards]

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[Kazedwards]

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[b54red]

Don't know what is affecting your plants but it doesn't look like Late Blight so be glad. Any malady is better than LB. See if you can take a limb to the county extension office or a really good garden center and see if they can diagnose the problem. To me it looks like a chemical or mineral imbalance.

Bill

[Kazedwards]

Originally Posted by b54red

Don't know what is affecting your plants but it doesn't look like Late Blight so be glad. Any malady is better than LB. See if you can take a limb to the county extension office or a really good garden center and see if they can diagnose the problem. To me it looks like a chemical or mineral imbalance.



Bill

Well that’s good I guess. The tomatoes are just just starting to come in. I was actually really glad for the break in heat so more fruit would set. I’m really hoping that this is just because of the sudden fluctuation in weather. Also I’ll add that I have only watered twice. Both last week due to 110 heat index temps. So I wonder if that could be some of the cause too. Thank you for the help


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[greenthumbomaha]

Being just above you, I experienced the same heat stress situation for an extended period. I upped the water to at least every other day and lightly fertilize 1x per week. I did not experience a purple hue on leaves, so I would agree with B54 you have an imbalance. Actually I followed his advice to continue light fertilization to strengthen plants as they stress in the heat. Seems to be working. Blight is and will be the story in beds that have had problems in the past.

I hope they snap out not that the weather is more consistant and tolerable.. Please let us know if you seek advice from extension. If you live near Johnson Co they have many resources at the CC too,

- Lisa

[arnorrian]

Why are shading nets so expensive in the us? They're dirt-cheap here.

[brownrexx]

I also do not see any Late Blight and you can be glad because pruning will not help with LB. The plants would be dead in a week no matter what you do.

LB thrives in cool, humid conditions which you do not have currently. It happens here in PA in late August when the temperatures drop off.

Looks like heat stress to me.

[arnorrian]

Originally Posted by brownrexx

The plants would be dead in a week no matter what you do.

I saved mine last year. They lost about a third of their leaves, but survived. Of course, I used synthetic fungicides.

[Guavatone]

The picture with your hand and purple leaves looks like something I had. I mad my own phosphorous bone meal with once or twice brothed beef bones. I baked them and crushed them with a meat tenderizer on a marble slab. Morton and pestle better. I simmered the dust in water for 10-20 minutes and poured in the soil and I have no more purple leaves.

[bbjm]

Zach, I'm probably just a bit south of you. I'm in a Kansas suburb of KC. I have been dealing with a bit of Early Blight and what I believe is Septoria. If it were me, I would remove all leaves up to the first flowers/fruit and dispose any leaves that have any yellowing or brown spots.

As you said, our weather went from miserably humid (110 heat index) to rain and now we are getting some beautiful weather with unusually cool nights. The purple might be weather related, but I have never seen that kind of purpling. I agree with the advice to take it into an extension office. There is one in Olathe if you are on the KS side. Hopefully it is just a mineral deficiency and a good fertilizer will fix it. I use Texas Tomato Food but had to order it. Tomato Tone should work too. Please keep us posted on how it is going. If it is any kind of fungal disease, my garden will catch it.

Bret

[bbjm]

Zach. Sorry, I see you are on the Missouri side but I'm sure there is an extension office close to you.

I wanted to also say that I'm very careful not to overwater. I've only watered three times the entire season and I garden in raised beds. The clay soil around here tends to stay wet long after it rains, particularly when you have a good mulch layer down and it looks like you do.

Good luck!

Bret

[Kazedwards]

Thank you everyone for the help. I’ll pick up some tomato food tomorrow and keep everyone posted.

I noticed today that one of the plants is getting worse it seems. I’ll look up if an extension is close and take a sample in.



Another plant. Thought it was a better pic of what’s going on



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[Kazedwards]

Originally Posted by bbjm

Zach. Sorry, I see you are on the Missouri side but I'm sure there is an extension office close to you.

I wanted to also say that I'm very careful not to overwater. I've only watered three times the entire season and I garden in raised beds. The clay soil around here tends to stay wet long after it rains, particularly when you have a good mulch layer down and it looks like you do.

Good luck!

Bret

Bret I’m glad to here from someone close. I am on the Missouri side just northeast of liberty. The clay soil here can be a pain. Our last house was all fill and horrible to work with. Here we have about a foot of really rich topsoil. It still a challenge especially this last spring. I doing raised rows that are about a foot higher than the paths. The paths are then filled in with wood chips. I have only watered twice this year myself. Both last week and more of a quick drink than an actual watering. The only reason I watered was because I had just planted a set of beans.


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[Dewayne mater]

The purple and curled leaves look like a deficiency in the soil or possibly exposure to drifting herbicide. The brown is more along the lines of something infectious a blight or some type. The yellowing with spots looks like Septoria leaf spot. Those are all somewhat treatable.

I am worried about the quick rise in your pictures of yellowing leaves and maybe stems too - can't tell bc picture is shot with the golden bath of evening sun. If you are getting a lot of yellowing leaves and stems moving quickly up the plants, that could be Fusarium and that is a much bigger problem because it is in the soil, not treatable and you will have that problem year after year. There is a test you can do involving looking at the inside of the stems. If they are dark colored inside, you have it. If you have it, you'll either want to rotate out to crops not susceptible for 3-5 years or plant tomatoes with fusarium resistance. Some folks here use grafting on root stock that is F resistant with success. Good luck.