Down Under Disease?

murihikukid · March 21, 2016

Hi ..Being a new member I thought I posted my thread on this forum "Common Diseases and Pests"...Apparantly I never and have been advised to redirect to the Common Garden and Pests ... So here are my posts and photos...

Hi..I am in New Zealand and elderly and only a second year Tomato grower so my season is reverse to most members ..Unlike last year my plants have a terrible problem ...I have sought help from "experts" here in NZ but this has only made my situation worse ...
What I would like to do is post photographs of my plants and hopefully some member will tell me what is happening ..

Now I have asked for help at the nurseries in my area and actually pleaded for somebody to inspect my tomatoes as they really have to be seen...I have however taken reasonably good quality photos and hope to post them all ..
I will point out that the plants are in growing bags ....there are no insects etc and no fruit is diseased...The plants are stunted and not producing as I think they should ..no doubt due to the disease (s) in my greenhouse...I have sprayed copper etc but feel i was too late in doing this...
My growing season has been a basic disaster with my buying seeds from a NZ supplier for 17 varieties ..I hoped to find a basic sandwich tomato for next season but when my Gardeners Delight turned out to be a Yellow Fruit...My Kiev which were advertised as a large Red tomato turned out to be a very small cherry fruit..Whipper Snapper is supposed to be a bush tomato yet is clearly an indeterminate and I do not know what my Abraham Lincoln and Lisa King are ..Clearly the seeds sold to me are not labeled correctly and I am not happy with the supplier as I have spent a lot of money on the soil etc ....Every seed propagated and documented is recorded on my Computer as are the first and subsequent transplant...

I transplanted from the Propagator into a very large freezer with ceramic bulbs providing heat underneath...Later I transplanted into grower bags and then put in the greenhouse ...The plants looked great.....As time went on I became concerned with the leaves dieing and wondered if they were actually underwatered in the greenhouse resulting in the problems I now have ..
Anyway I am sure my photos will bring me some advice and answers which I will be extremely grateful for...
I have been told its malnourishment not a disease by "experts" here.....????? Its clearly a disease that apparantly starts with either a black leaf spot or the tip of the leaf turns black then the black encircles the outer of the leaf ,the leaf curls meantime other leaves on the branch get infected till the branch just drops off the main stem ......Meantime the disease is moving to another branch......
Now every plant is not affected ......Copia and Sungold have been hit bad while I have 3 Stupice plants and while two look discoloured the 3rd plant looks really healthy .....At least the fruit has not been affected badly so I can still taste them to decide if I will plant the variety in 2016-17.....
Thanks Ron NZ

ginger 2778 in Florida posted this reply ...(which I am extremely grateful for....)

I think you have 2 things going on. The interveinal chlorosis ( yellowing between the veins) is an iron deficiency most likely, but could be a magnesium deficiency. These deficiencies can be caused by overwatering, or underwatering, both starve the roots, or it could be an actual one.

The second thing wrong is fungal growth,thats your brown spots surrounded by yellow very common in a greenhouse. Remove most of the brown spotted leaves, bag them up, get them out of the garden so they aren't a source of more fungus. Don't forget to wipe down your trimming tool with alcohol or a disinfectant wipe between plants so as not to spread the disease. Your hands too.
Treat the fungus with liquid copper fungicide, going to need to do it 2 times in a 4 day period. Be very thorough above and below the leaves and down the stem to the soil line. USE THE BOTTLE DIRECTIONS FOR MIXING AT THE WEAKEST RECOMMENDED DOSE FOR TOMATOES. It will do the job. Stronger is not better, stronger will make your leafs curl. Put a small squeeze of liquid dish soap in the sprayer after mixing the copper to act as a spreader. I say after because that way filling the sprayer wont make a bunch of suds.
I hope you find this helpful.
Under watering would not be likely to be the cause of your problems, but get on a consistent watering schedule

March 21, 2016	#1
murihikukid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Invercargill New Zealand Posts: 1,022	Down Under Disease? Hi ..Being a new member I thought I posted my thread on this forum "Common Diseases and Pests"...Apparantly I never and have been advised to redirect to the Common Garden and Pests ... So here are my posts and photos... Hi..I am in New Zealand and elderly and only a second year Tomato grower so my season is reverse to most members ..Unlike last year my plants have a terrible problem ...I have sought help from "experts" here in NZ but this has only made my situation worse ... What I would like to do is post photographs of my plants and hopefully some member will tell me what is happening .. Now I have asked for help at the nurseries in my area and actually pleaded for somebody to inspect my tomatoes as they really have to be seen...I have however taken reasonably good quality photos and hope to post them all .. I will point out that the plants are in growing bags ....there are no insects etc and no fruit is diseased...The plants are stunted and not producing as I think they should ..no doubt due to the disease (s) in my greenhouse...I have sprayed copper etc but feel i was too late in doing this... My growing season has been a basic disaster with my buying seeds from a NZ supplier for 17 varieties ..I hoped to find a basic sandwich tomato for next season but when my Gardeners Delight turned out to be a Yellow Fruit...My Kiev which were advertised as a large Red tomato turned out to be a very small cherry fruit..Whipper Snapper is supposed to be a bush tomato yet is clearly an indeterminate and I do not know what my Abraham Lincoln and Lisa King are ..Clearly the seeds sold to me are not labeled correctly and I am not happy with the supplier as I have spent a lot of money on the soil etc ....Every seed propagated and documented is recorded on my Computer as are the first and subsequent transplant... I transplanted from the Propagator into a very large freezer with ceramic bulbs providing heat underneath...Later I transplanted into grower bags and then put in the greenhouse ...The plants looked great.....As time went on I became concerned with the leaves dieing and wondered if they were actually underwatered in the greenhouse resulting in the problems I now have .. Anyway I am sure my photos will bring me some advice and answers which I will be extremely grateful for... I have been told its malnourishment not a disease by "experts" here.....????? Its clearly a disease that apparantly starts with either a black leaf spot or the tip of the leaf turns black then the black encircles the outer of the leaf ,the leaf curls meantime other leaves on the branch get infected till the branch just drops off the main stem ......Meantime the disease is moving to another branch...... Now every plant is not affected ......Copia and Sungold have been hit bad while I have 3 Stupice plants and while two look discoloured the 3rd plant looks really healthy .....At least the fruit has not been affected badly so I can still taste them to decide if I will plant the variety in 2016-17..... Thanks Ron NZ ginger 2778 in Florida posted this reply ...(which I am extremely grateful for....) I think you have 2 things going on. The interveinal chlorosis ( yellowing between the veins) is an iron deficiency most likely, but could be a magnesium deficiency. These deficiencies can be caused by overwatering, or underwatering, both starve the roots, or it could be an actual one. The second thing wrong is fungal growth,thats your brown spots surrounded by yellow very common in a greenhouse. Remove most of the brown spotted leaves, bag them up, get them out of the garden so they aren't a source of more fungus. Don't forget to wipe down your trimming tool with alcohol or a disinfectant wipe between plants so as not to spread the disease. Your hands too. Treat the fungus with liquid copper fungicide, going to need to do it 2 times in a 4 day period. Be very thorough above and below the leaves and down the stem to the soil line. USE THE BOTTLE DIRECTIONS FOR MIXING AT THE WEAKEST RECOMMENDED DOSE FOR TOMATOES. It will do the job. Stronger is not better, stronger will make your leafs curl. Put a small squeeze of liquid dish soap in the sprayer after mixing the copper to act as a spreader. I say after because that way filling the sprayer wont make a bunch of suds. I hope you find this helpful. Under watering would not be likely to be the cause of your problems, but get on a consistent watering schedule Last edited by murihikukid; March 21, 2016 at 06:09 AM.