Dying tomato plants, ever... - Ask Extension
Dying tomato plants, every year. leaves turn yellow w/ brown spots. Dies from bottom up. I grow tomatoes in straw bales, cover ground w/ mulch & t...
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Dying tomato plants, ever... #204529
Asked August 04, 2014, 2:45 PM EDT
Dying tomato plants, every year. leaves turn yellow w/ brown spots. Dies from bottom up. I grow tomatoes in straw bales, cover ground w/ mulch & this year purchased 3 grafted tomatoes ( 2 Cherokee purple, 1 mortgage lifter) along w/ 4 regular german tomatoes. I water w/ soaker hose. I have done everything I can to grow tomatoes w/o them getting disease, including trimming off dead leaves & discarding them far away. Any suggestions? I am disgusted, broke, from buying all this stuff to try to get tomatoes to grow! Pictures included. Thank you
Olmsted County Minnesota
Expert Response
You mentioned that you plant your tomatoes in strawbales, but you also mentioned that you cover ground with mulch.
Do you plant your tomatoes in the same spot every year?
I know that the Mortgage Lifter is a Heirloom tomato. I do not know much about the Cherokee Purple and Grafted Tomatoes.
Next year you can check into getting some Disease Resistant Tomatoes.
Do you start your own seeds?
Also tomatoes like to be evenly moist. Not dry not to wet.
I know planting in strawbales everything dries out pretty quickly.
Do you amend your soil/strawbales every year before you plant?
Do you plants get the morning sun?
Do you water your plants in the morning?
Also if you are using the same tomato cages each year, you do need to disinfect them before you reuse them each year. They will transfer the fungus as well.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/septoria-leaf-spot-of-tomato/
I have attached a link to the extension garden website for your reference.
I hope this will help for next year. I'm sorry it took me so long to answer your question, but I thought that I had sent my answer, and apparently it did not go through.
Do you plant your tomatoes in the same spot every year?
I know that the Mortgage Lifter is a Heirloom tomato. I do not know much about the Cherokee Purple and Grafted Tomatoes.
Next year you can check into getting some Disease Resistant Tomatoes.
Do you start your own seeds?
Also tomatoes like to be evenly moist. Not dry not to wet.
I know planting in strawbales everything dries out pretty quickly.
Do you amend your soil/strawbales every year before you plant?
Do you plants get the morning sun?
Do you water your plants in the morning?
Also if you are using the same tomato cages each year, you do need to disinfect them before you reuse them each year. They will transfer the fungus as well.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/septoria-leaf-spot-of-tomato/
I have attached a link to the extension garden website for your reference.
I hope this will help for next year. I'm sorry it took me so long to answer your question, but I thought that I had sent my answer, and apparently it did not go through.
