What is this disease

NewbieGrower · May 9, 2017

My friend's EarthTainer tomato plant leaves suddenly developed splotches. Is this fungus?

jtjmartin · May 9, 2017

I've had plants that look like that as the later stage of sunburn. If it spreads, it's not sunburn though.

There's a lot better experts than me on the site though. I'll watch and learn!

zipcode · May 10, 2017

Looks like some sort of burn, probably not sunburn though. Around those spots however I seem to see maybe spider mite damage? Can you take a really close look under the leaves?

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

These are 2 friends EarthTainers I built and setup for them with my seedlings. Have been growing great for more than a month until suddenly both called with problems with leaves on same day. Plants put in EarthTainers a week apart and they located 25 miles apart. Found it very unusual for plants to have same problem appear same day. Here is photo of 2nd friend's plant (taken last night so did best he could). The leaves on exposed areas damaged but those inside cage, shaded by other leaves have no damage. The 2 days before we had unusually bright sun with high UV index. Temp in mid 80's. Previously, it has been overcast or raining with low UV index. My EarthTainer planted one week later and located 15 miles from the others shows no damage.

ginger2778 · May 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieGrower

My friend's EarthTainer tomato plant leaves suddenly developed splotches. Is this fungus?

This is not fungus. These are scars caused by an insect eating the leaves. Thrips do this, some beetle family bugs do this, can you see any bugs? They might have left by now. Anyways, for sure it isn't fungus or bacterial.

ginger2778 · May 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieGrower

These are 2 friends EarthTainers I built and setup for them with my seedlings. Have been growing great for more than a month until suddenly both called with problems with leaves on same day. Plants put in EarthTainers a week apart and they located 25 miles apart. Found it very unusual for plants to have same problem appear same day. Here is photo of 2nd friend's plant (taken last night so did best he could). The leaves on exposed areas damaged but those inside cage, shaded by other leaves have no damage. The 2 days before we had unusually bright sun with high UV index. Temp in mid 80's. Previously, it has been overcast or raining with low UV index. My EarthTainer planted one week later and located 15 miles from the others shows no damage.

Your friend's damage looks like a physical injury or chemical burn, does not look like the same thing as yours. Acid rain? Hail maybe?

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

Here is my other friend's plant 25 miles away. Same problem, same day. Is this fungus? Sunburn? Happened in one day involving multiple leaves.

MissS · May 10, 2017

It looks like a burn to me.

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

We had bad hailstorm here last week. Not much at my house but both theirs hit pretty bad. So concensus seems to be that this is physical damage (sunburn or hail stone). So just watch and see if doesn't spread.

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

We don't get acid rain here in Mississippi. But did have hailstorm last week.

TessSR · May 10, 2017

Remove the affected leaves and toss in the trash. If it happened again, it maybe something to look further. It could be a disease or mites. Goodluck!

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewbieGrower

My friend's EarthTainer tomato plant leaves suddenly developed splotches. Is this fungus?

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

Wind damage? We had very bad wind storm a few days ago (trees down). 60mph.

**Lee** · May 10, 2017

I would guess spider mites or thrips as well.
Ask them to check on the undersides of the leaves with a magnifying glass to see if they can find any insects.

You can use a number of methods to remove from high power water mist to wash them off to pyrethrum (sp?) or neem oil base sprays.

I don't usually see wind/sun damage happening to such mature leaves/plants, and it's not hail damage.
Only way I could see it being sun damage is if they sprayed the leaves with something in the middle of the day... ie. sun/magnifying glass effect.

Lee

NewbieGrower · May 10, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

I would guess spider mites or thrips as well.
Ask them to check on the undersides of the leaves with a magnifying glass to see if they can find any insects.

You can use a number of methods to remove from high power water mist to wash them off to pyrethrum (sp?) or neem oil base sprays.

I don't usually see wind/sun damage happening to such mature leaves/plants, and it's not hail damage.
Only way I could see it being sun damage is if they sprayed the leaves with something in the middle of the day... ie. sun/magnifying glass effect.

Lee

Even with leaves hitting against cage in strong wind? I am making "housecall" tomorrow and will check out everything carefully.

Worth1 · May 10, 2017

I'm going with some sort of skeletonizing critters.
Worth

May 10, 2017	#8
MissS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 3,149	It looks like a burn to me. __________________ ~ Patti ~

May 10, 2017	#9
NewbieGrower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Ridgeland, MS Posts: 68	We had bad hailstorm here last week. Not much at my house but both theirs hit pretty bad. So concensus seems to be that this is physical damage (sunburn or hail stone). So just watch and see if doesn't spread. Last edited by NewbieGrower; May 10, 2017 at 02:25 PM.

May 10, 2017	#13
Lee Tomatopalooza™ Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NC-Zone 7 Posts: 2,188	I would guess spider mites or thrips as well. Ask them to check on the undersides of the leaves with a magnifying glass to see if they can find any insects. You can use a number of methods to remove from high power water mist to wash them off to pyrethrum (sp?) or neem oil base sprays. I don't usually see wind/sun damage happening to such mature leaves/plants, and it's not hail damage. Only way I could see it being sun damage is if they sprayed the leaves with something in the middle of the day... ie. sun/magnifying glass effect. Lee __________________ Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put one in a fruit salad. Cuostralee - The best thing on sliced bread.

May 9, 2017	#2
jtjmartin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2016 Location: Williamsburg VA Zone 7b Posts: 1,110	I've had plants that look like that as the later stage of sunburn. If it spreads, it's not sunburn though. There's a lot better experts than me on the site though. I'll watch and learn!

May 10, 2017	#3
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Looks like some sort of burn, probably not sunburn though. Around those spots however I seem to see maybe spider mite damage? Can you take a really close look under the leaves?

May 10, 2017	#15
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I'm going with some sort of skeletonizing critters. Worth