Gray Mold? Something Else? How do I treat this and save my plants

tnkrer · July 18, 2018

Over my last few years of gardening the axiom that has held true is .. Sooner or Later there is always disease on my big tomatoes. Unfortunately it is sooner this year! And I had made a much better effort at preventing the disease this year. Pruned the plants regularly to keep crowding to a minimum, sprayed copper and Excel LG alternately every week.. and yet, I saw two branches on Neves Azorean Red and one branch on adjacent Sungold wilted/black/dead. All of these were almost at the top of the plant. So I quickly removed all the infected branches, a few infected leaves and sprayed daconil. That was yesterday. I noticed 2-3 infected leaves today. So not sure if I have contained the spread .. Here are some photos.

Top of an infected leaf

Bottom of an infected leaf

top of the plant that shows the infection. (Did not remember to take pictures of the worst branches. They were limp and grey with all the leaves dying.)

Stem with black/brown discoloration

Another leaf that was not as infected

So
1. what is this disease?
2. Do I have a chance at recovering the plant? How should I go about treating the plant?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

ETA: I have attached images, but they are not showing for me .. are they showing for anyone?
ETA2: Instead of attached images, using hosted images. Those show up for me

Salsacharley · July 18, 2018

Have you examined your leaves with a loupe? The underside of the leaf on the 2nd pic looks like it has bugs on it.

Johnniemar · July 21, 2018

Looks like grey mold to me.

tnkrer · July 25, 2018

SalsaCharley, did not notice any bugs on the plant either with naked eye or with a 5x magnifying glass. (Don't have loupe)

After I removed the dying branches and sprayed with daconil, in the past week, I have not seen the problem spread through the plants. A few more leaves died, but overall the problem seems to be cured or halted.
We are having another humid/rainy week, so I am afraid of what that will bring.
Also this started at the top of the plant. I thought molds will typically start from the bottom of the plant. I am hoping to stave off diseases for another month .. and may be I will actually get all the greens on the plant to ripen! and get decent yields after giving up the share of chipmunks and squirrels.

July 18, 2018	#1
tnkrer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: MA 6a/b Posts: 352	Gray Mold? Something Else? How do I treat this and save my plants Over my last few years of gardening the axiom that has held true is .. Sooner or Later there is always disease on my big tomatoes. Unfortunately it is sooner this year! And I had made a much better effort at preventing the disease this year. Pruned the plants regularly to keep crowding to a minimum, sprayed copper and Excel LG alternately every week.. and yet, I saw two branches on Neves Azorean Red and one branch on adjacent Sungold wilted/black/dead. All of these were almost at the top of the plant. So I quickly removed all the infected branches, a few infected leaves and sprayed daconil. That was yesterday. I noticed 2-3 infected leaves today. So not sure if I have contained the spread .. Here are some photos. Top of an infected leaf Bottom of an infected leaf top of the plant that shows the infection. (Did not remember to take pictures of the worst branches. They were limp and grey with all the leaves dying.) Stem with black/brown discoloration Another leaf that was not as infected So 1. what is this disease? 2. Do I have a chance at recovering the plant? How should I go about treating the plant? Any help will be greatly appreciated. ETA: I have attached images, but they are not showing for me .. are they showing for anyone? ETA2: Instead of attached images, using hosted images. Those show up for me Last edited by tnkrer; July 18, 2018 at 12:40 PM. Reason: images not showing

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July 18, 2018	#2
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Have you examined your leaves with a loupe? The underside of the leaf on the 2nd pic looks like it has bugs on it.

July 21, 2018	#3
Johnniemar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: North carolina Posts: 199	Looks like grey mold to me.

July 25, 2018	#4
tnkrer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: MA 6a/b Posts: 352	SalsaCharley, did not notice any bugs on the plant either with naked eye or with a 5x magnifying glass. (Don't have loupe) After I removed the dying branches and sprayed with daconil, in the past week, I have not seen the problem spread through the plants. A few more leaves died, but overall the problem seems to be cured or halted. We are having another humid/rainy week, so I am afraid of what that will bring. Also this started at the top of the plant. I thought molds will typically start from the bottom of the plant. I am hoping to stave off diseases for another month .. and may be I will actually get all the greens on the plant to ripen! and get decent yields after giving up the share of chipmunks and squirrels.