Could this be early blight or is it something else?

sirtanon · May 11, 2007

I was just out in the garden and I noticed a couple tomato plants with some sick-looking leaves. They all had marks that looked like this:

here's another shot:

I'm hoping it's not early blight.. but instead the result of water marking.. but I am afraid that's just hope.

Does it look like EB?

If so, can I apply daconil to stop it?

Fert1 · May 11, 2007

Sure looks like Early Blight to me. From what happened to me last year, I would recommend immediate removal of diseased foliage followed by thorough spraying of Daconil. If you've caught it soon enough, you may be able to keep it at bay.

I waited a little too long last year, and even Daconil didn't do it.

bcday · May 12, 2007

It looks like Early Blight to me. What Fert1 said works for me, too.

Also I would put the diseased leaves in a plastic bag, not in your compost heap, and dispose of the bag in the trash far away from your plants so spores from the diseased leaves can't spread. I've seen advice that says you can safely bury diseased leaves, but the recommended depth to bury them is two feet, whether in a compost heap or anywhere else. The trash is easier. :wink:

Daconil is a preventative, not a cure. It won't kill any EB that is already growing, even if the lesions are still too tiny to attract your attention. So you may see a more spots appear even after you spray, but if you keep at it, it won't get bad enough to kill the plants.

May 11, 2007	#1
sirtanon Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Phoenix, AZ (zone 9b) Posts: 796	Could this be early blight or is it something else? I was just out in the garden and I noticed a couple tomato plants with some sick-looking leaves. They all had marks that looked like this: here's another shot: I'm hoping it's not early blight.. but instead the result of water marking.. but I am afraid that's just hope. Does it look like EB? If so, can I apply daconil to stop it? __________________ I could sail by on the winds of silence, and maybe they won't notice... but this time I think it would be better if I swim..

May 11, 2007	#2
Fert1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Upstate SC, Zone 7 Posts: 543	Sure looks like Early Blight to me. From what happened to me last year, I would recommend immediate removal of diseased foliage followed by thorough spraying of Daconil. If you've caught it soon enough, you may be able to keep it at bay. I waited a little too long last year, and even Daconil didn't do it. __________________ Holly

May 12, 2007	#3
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	It looks like Early Blight to me. What Fert1 said works for me, too. Also I would put the diseased leaves in a plastic bag, not in your compost heap, and dispose of the bag in the trash far away from your plants so spores from the diseased leaves can't spread. I've seen advice that says you can safely bury diseased leaves, but the recommended depth to bury them is two feet, whether in a compost heap or anywhere else. The trash is easier. :wink: Daconil is a preventative, not a cure. It won't kill any EB that is already growing, even if the lesions are still too tiny to attract your attention. So you may see a more spots appear even after you spray, but if you keep at it, it won't get bad enough to kill the plants.