Novice gardeners may think that the only thing to be wary of when growing tomatoes is late blight. This is a truly terrible disease, very difficult to treat and prevent. At the same time, it has many “competitors”, because tomato seedlings can be attacked by pests, as well as numerous diseases of the roots and aerial parts.
At the same time, everything is not so bad at all, the main thing is to recognize the symptoms of impending problems in time and take appropriate measures. Our article will tell you what to do if white spots appear on the seedlings and what could be the cause.
Reasons for appearance
Having noticed white spots on tomato leaves, any gardener must urgently take measures to eliminate this phenomenon. First of all, it is necessary to identify the causes. They can be divided into two groups, and after making a “diagnosis”, treatment can be carried out.
White spots on the leaves of tomato seedlings
Why did the spots appear:
- Sun or heat burn.
- Fungal diseases.
In the first case, the location of the spots is the upper tiers of leaves. Diseases most often initially affect the lower parts of the plant, spreading higher over time. More details about this, as well as methods for treating and preventing such ailments are described below.
In the video - why white spots appear on the leaves of seedlings:
How to treat leaf burns
The appearance of such spots was necessarily preceded by changes in the usual regime. Usually this means taking the seedlings outside or transplanting them to a new location. To eliminate the risk of such manifestations, it is advisable to accustom the seedlings to sunlight gradually, using local darkening and regular watering.
He will tell you about the treatment of brown spots on grape leaves.
Watering, by the way, can also serve as a negative factor. If you water tomatoes in hot weather, every drop that falls on the leaves of the plant becomes a miniature lens, literally burning a hole in the shell. That is why it is best to water in the evening, treating exclusively the root area. The same rule can be extended to spraying, which must be carried out in dry weather and in the evening, so as not to burn the leaves and stem of the plant being treated.
You can fight sunburn only by strengthening the plant’s defenses. If there is significant damage, there is no point in nurturing such seedlings, because such a situation will adversely affect productivity.
Video shows how to treat leaf burns:
In addition to the sun, the plant can also suffer from heat stroke. For example, if you use too cold water when watering. The soil heats up during the day and forms steam when moisture enters. It burns the leaves and can also cause the stem of the plant to literally cook.
Second possible variant: increase in temperature in the greenhouse. That is why it is necessary to take care of good ventilation in advance, otherwise overheating of the plants cannot be avoided. Here, too, it is best to take reasonable measures before such a problem arises, because such conditions cannot be treated.
The appearance of white spots on the leaves, as well as other alarming symptoms, must be considered by a zealous gardener. This may be a signal of fungal diseases, and also indicate a burn of the leaf part of the plant. Our information will tell you what the main reasons for the appearance of such signals are, as well as what to do in each individual case.
» Tomatoes
Experienced gardeners claim that tomatoes are a strong and resilient crop. Caring for them is quite simple, and the harvest almost always pleases the owner of the site. However, not every beginner achieves good yields. Either pests spoil the seedlings, then diseases appear, or the leaves of the plants turn white. In order to save a vegetable crop in time, you need to have basic skills in caring for an annual plant.
There are several reasons why the leaves of seedlings may turn white and then dry out. Very often the problem occurs due to sunburn on young plants. The first step to confirm the cause is to inspect the greenery. Sunburn affects leaves partially or everywhere and they may become covered with white spots and begin to thin out. White spots can appear not only from exposure to the sun when transplanting into open ground, but also while on the windowsill, living in cups, and even in a greenhouse.
What can you do to avoid sunburn? Is it possible to revive the landings? Compliance simple rules will allow gardeners to prevent this problem from occurring:
Tomato seedlings close up - Under no circumstances should you immediately plant seedlings from a shaded place in the open sun. It is necessary to gradually accustom the green shoots to the sun's rays, otherwise the tomatoes will dry out even more. To do this, cups with seedlings should be taken outside for 20-30 minutes every day. Gradually, the time spent in the air increases and as soon as the time is right, the tomatoes can be transplanted into open ground.
- Chemical burns are no less common cause of the appearance of white spots on tomato foliage. They appear due to an increase in the recommended dosage chemical fertilizer while preparing the solution. Excessive density of the solution, once on plants, provokes the appearance of white spotting on the foliage. Gradually, the affected greenery dies.
- There are times when green leaves become covered with white spots due to the manifestation of various diseases.
Some chemicals can be used only in cloudy weather, so as not to provoke a decrease in the degree of natural protection of plants from sunlight. Very often, ignoring these rules leads to the death of seedlings.
Diseases of adult plants in greenhouses and open ground
Low yields are ensured by gardeners who believe that tomatoes do not require care and fertilization. Only proper care of the vegetable crop will make it possible to form weighty fruits that will delight the tomato owner. If there are white spots on green growth, it is necessary to identify the cause of their appearance. Not only pests, but also unpleasant diseases, such as:
- brown spot;
- white rot;
- powdery mildew;
- septoria;
- late blight
Brown spot
When brown spot appears, tomato leaves turn white. In addition, seedlings are exposed to a number of concomitant diseases. This disease mainly affects greenhouse annual plants.
With brown spotting, the spots turn from white to dark The main signs of brown spot include:
- the appearance of white fluff on the inner parts of tomato leaf blades;
- gradual modification color range plaque, smooth transition from white to dark brown shades;
- the appearance of yellowness on the outer part of the foliage.
The development of the disease can be stopped in the initial stages. If you ignore the symptoms, the tomato foliage will gradually curl and the plant will soon die. To prevent brown spot, seedlings should be provided with regular ventilation and a decrease in humidity. Such methods will help prevent the consequences of a disastrous scourge.
The occurrence of white rot negatively affects the leaves and stems of vegetables. The vegetative part of the seedlings becomes covered with white spots, the stems become soft and a coating similar to the mucous membrane forms on them.
To prevent the death of bushes, urgent therapy is necessary. To do this, you need to strictly follow the advice of experts:
- First of all, we eliminate the infected part of the seedlings.
- We treat the cut areas with a solution copper sulfate.
For preventive purposes against white rot, you can use a universal remedy called Bordeaux mixture. Spraying seedlings will relieve tomatoes from an unpleasant disease.
Powdery mildew of tomatoes
Light tomato foliage may indicate the appearance of powdery mildew.The main signs of trouble are:
- a gray-white coating on the lower part of the foliage;
- yellowness on the upper side of the foliage.
The disease develops quite rapidly. The foliage quickly dries out and the annual plant dies. It is very important to promptly pay attention to affected tomatoes and carry out proper treatment. Powdery mildew is incredibly difficult to defeat.
It is best to take preventive measures in advance. High level air humidity and frequent changes in moisture levels become ideal conditions for the appearance of an unpleasant disease.
During periods of high humidity, experts recommend treating bushes with special means, namely:
- Foundationazole;
- Topaz;
- Previkur;
- Vitaros.
Septoria no less often than other diseases destroys tomato seedlings. The fungal infection spreads quite quickly throughout the green tomatoes and forms many yellow-brown spots.
Elimination of the manifestations of this fungus is possible in two stages:
- pruning the affected vegetation of the bush;
- treating plantings with fungicidal agents such as Bordeaux mixture, Baktofit.
The appearance of late blight
Almost everyone experienced gardener I came across late blight, which destroys not only tomatoes, but also potatoes. The primary signs of late blight are:
- the appearance of spots of brown-brown shades with a white edging along the extreme parts of the leaf plate;
- rapid increase in spots;
- the appearance of a light coating resembling a cobweb on the lower part of the foliage;
- yellowing of the leaves, their further curling and drying.
The stems of the plant gradually turn into dust, break and the seedlings die. Only timely treatment will prevent the death of the bushes.
How to deal with white spots on tomato leaves
Treatment of leaves affected by white coating is not always effective. That is why it is better to worry in advance about preventive measures that will protect the bushes from pests and various infections. Experienced gardeners believe that it is important to plant seedlings correctly, which also affects the durability of the vegetable crop.
To prevent the appearance of white spots on the foliage, it is necessary to wisely select the site for planting seedlings. Plants should receive a sufficient amount of sunlight, which will not make it possible to provoke excessive pampering of the shoots.
In the case when the seedlings were in the shade for a long time and then were planted in open ground on the sunny side, most of the bushes soon became covered with white spots from sunburn and died. Even when the seedlings are barely visible from the soil in the cup, they must be systematically brought into sunlight so that they get used to such an environment.
Do not suddenly move tomatoes from the shade to the sun. The transition must be gradual It is equally important to take care in advance to protect the bushes from various diseases. To do this you need:
- select and prepare the soil for planting tomatoes in advance;
- add fertilizers recommended by experts to the soil, which will increase the ability of plants to resist diseases of various types.
When spraying seedlings using chemicals, you should strictly follow the instructions. This will avoid chemical burns and further plant death.
Proper care looking after tomato seedlings will help avoid problems in the future
In cases where white spots from sunburn appear on the foliage of tomatoes, it is no longer possible to return the green color. However, using special means you can help the bushes recover and acquire new green mass.
After sunset, you can process tomatoes using the drug Espin. Such procedures should be carried out every 6-7 days for 3 weeks. These measures will allow the plants to receive a sufficient amount of nutrients.
If the seedlings do receive sunburn, then their fruiting will be delayed by 7-14 days, unlike healthy bushes.
Many gardeners who are just starting to grow vegetable crops naively assume that the only evil that can happen to their tomatoes is late blight. Indeed, this is a very terrible disease, and it is extremely difficult to treat, but this is not the only misfortune that awaits the shoots that are valuable to the heart. White spots on tomato leaves are a serous competitor to numerous diseases and pests, destroying the above-ground parts of tomato seedlings.
Peculiarities
Tomato belongs to a number of capricious crops that are demanding on environmental conditions. In order for plants to develop well, they must receive an equal amount of heat, light, moisture and nutrients. A minimal disturbance - a jump in temperature, high humidity, too bright sunshine or a draft can provoke stress in still fragile plants, which will lead to a deterioration in the condition of the leaves: they lose turgor, become lighter, and sometimes white spots appear on them.
Spotting can be caused by various factors, and it is not always harmless. Whiteness can appear on both the leaves of adult and young tomatoes (seedlings). The place of ripening also plays an important role. The green mass can deteriorate in plants from a greenhouse and even in representatives grown in open ground. All plants, without exception, are equally susceptible to such an unpleasant phenomenon as white spots on the leaves, although, as the practice and life experience of gardeners shows, most often plaques appear on greenhouse tomatoes.
Usually the lowest leaves turn white first, and then the entire plant becomes affected by the problem. Initially, the spots are difficult to recognize, and with careless inspection and complete ignorance of the plant grower, they are clearly visualized and in the future are quite difficult to remove.
The shape and size of plaques can be very different and depend on the cause of their occurrence.
Why do they appear?
Uncharacteristic modifications of tomato leaves are the first reason that signals gardeners that the future harvest is under threat. Having noticed any deviations from the norms provided for by the variety, you should immediately look for a solution to get rid of the problem. However, before you start looking for a suitable treatment method, you need to know the cause of white spots.
Experienced gardeners know that whitish spots are evidence of one of two scenarios: either sunburn or a bacterial infection.
The most harmless culprit for the formation of white spots on green shoots is sunburn. This situation is quite common among novice plant growers, although experienced specialists sometimes make mistakes. If a gardener, in order to harden the seedlings, took them outside and left them in direct sunlight for a long time, then the reason for the appearance of plaques most likely lies precisely in this. Some might think that yellow and dry leaves are a sign of a burn, but this is not always the case. Light spots also indicate a burn.
Due to the influence of ultraviolet radiation, tomato leaves may turn white entirely. The burn quickly spreads along the tops, and if the plant is not shaded, it may burn.
The more serious cause of white spots is bacterial disease. In nature, there are quite a few diseases that destroy vegetable crops. Septoria blight is considered the most common in tomatoes. Both adults and young seedlings suffer from this disease. If dirty white spots are visualized on the surface of the tomatoes, this means that the tomatoes are indeed sick with septoria.
In the place where the unnatural mark appears, the fungus quickly multiplies, destroying not only the plant it has chosen, but also all its fellow plants growing nearby. The fungus quickly spreads throughout the garden bed, especially if the conditions outside are suitable for reproduction - high humidity combined with very sunny weather.
Powdery mildew is another fungal disease, is quite aggressive, so not only tomatoes are afraid of it, but also other vegetables living near the affected plant. The main condition for the appearance of a pathogenic fungus is high humidity. The ambient temperature does not matter, maybe even + 30C. At first, only the leaves become covered with white spots, then all other parts of the plant. The disease progresses rapidly; in one day the entire tomato plant can die.
The appearance of a white coating on the stem and leaves of the plant is also evidence of a bacterial disease. Vegetable crops are very difficult to treat and most often die. To save it, you need experience and understanding of how to work with disinfectant solutions.
Entire tomato plantations are being destroyed by a disease with the beautiful name mosaic. Distinctive feature– small multi-colored specks, many of which are white.
Mosaic
The first symptoms in the form of white spots on the leaves are caused by a vegetable disease - late blight. An unnatural color appears on the inside of the green mass. Next, the fruits begin to change - an ugly brown crust appears on the skin of the tomatoes. The berry becomes hard, softens after a while and eventually spoils.
Late blight
Oedema or swelling of leaves. This is not a disease, but can also cause white spots. Due to excessive watering, especially at low temperatures, drops of water remain on the surface of the leaves, under which subsequently transparent and then white bulges form. In small quantities they are visible as white dots scattered across the leaf, but in large quantities it seems that the surface of the leaf is completely swollen.
Oedema
White spots on the leaves and fruits of tomatoes can also appear due to a lack of a microelement such as boron in the soil. You can feed the plants with fertilizer.
Due to inexperience, some novice gardeners themselves provoke the appearance of white spots on the leaves of their wards. The trouble occurs due to incorrect chemical treatment technology. To overcome pests (slugs, Colorado beetle, aphids and the like), plant growers use special spraying agents, but having prepared an overly concentrated solution and treated green spaces with it, gardeners, to their horror, may notice white plaques on tomatoes.
Vegetable growers for last years We saw a tendency that vegetables grown in greenhouse conditions are more susceptible to various diseases and other troubles. It is on such plants that dry white or silvery spots often appear on the leaves.
According to experts, damage to the shoots is in no way connected with any disease; most likely, it is a sign of a deviation during development caused by changes in the content or genetic specificity of some varieties.
But also white spots on leaf blades can occur due to a lack or excess of nutrients. For example, magnesium and zinc are essential elements in the formation of chlorophyll; they are involved in the process of photosynthesis. If there is a shortage of useful components, the above processes are disrupted, resulting in light spots on the leaf plates.
Excessive amounts of potassium and sodium salts in the soil also result in leaf spotting. If a lot of organic matter (manure) has been added to the soil, you can see a rosy picture on vegetable crops. It's better to combine organic fertilizers with mineral ones, but don’t use just one.
It is quite simple to distinguish a leaf burn from damage by a dangerous infectious agent. To do this, you need to carefully examine the tomato and remember what environmental conditions it lived in and what care it received. These conclusions will help determine the cause of the appearance of white plaque.
What to do?
If signs of a fungal disease appear on tomato seedlings, there is no need to panic prematurely. Plants can be cured, of course, if all the signs were identified at an early stage of their formation.
Treatment should begin with pruning. It is necessary to cut off all diseased leaves. The instrument that will be used for this procedure must first be disinfected: hold it over a fire or wash it with soapy water/a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
Living sections should be sprinkled with ash, crushed coal, or treated with the same solution of potassium permanganate. Healthy tomatoes, as well as the soil underneath them, should be sprayed with Bordeaux mixture or another fungicide.
There is also first aid for sunburn. You can help a burnt plant with special anti-stress agents, for example, Epin, Zircon, and succinic acid. They will increase the resistance of vegetable crops to negative environmental factors and add strength to the tomato. Of course, even these preparations cannot return burnt leaves, since burnt plant tissues are not restored.
Prevention
Even the modern agricultural industry has not yet been able to find a fast-acting method of treating affected tissues of vegetable crops. Very often, gardeners have to say goodbye to their plants, which they could not keep track of in time.
It is easier to carry out preventive measures than to treat plantations for a long time and painfully. It is necessary to loosen the soil more often, inspect the plants for infectious lesions, and treat them with preventive medications.
The most common tomato diseases, descriptions, treatment tips. Photos of some (alas, there are many more) troubles that we may encounter on our site if the tomatoes do not have enough nutrition or, on the contrary, are overfed. Therefore, it still won’t hurt us to get to know them. This knowledge is needed by everyone who grows them. What are the diseases of tomatoes and how to treat them? Tomato diseases, descriptions with photographs and methods of treatment are short review. There are many more diseases.
There is a belief among gardeners that the main problem for tomatoes is late blight. In fact, tomatoes have a lot of diseases in different areas or even in the same area, but in different areas the plants become infected with different infections. For example, in one area, plants may be destroyed by late blight, in a second by macrosporiosis, and in a third by cladosporiosis. And in order to defeat the disease, or at least know for yourself in the future how to protect your harvest, you need to know the main symptoms of diseases.
Many publications often write: tomato is an unpretentious crop. I wouldn't say that now. Too many ills have befallen this culture in recent years. What does a tomato need? Light, warmth, nutrition, moisture. But even if tomatoes are provided with all this, they are not always successful. Tomato diseases are not uncommon. Why do they get sick? Because it's all about the little things.
Mosaic
Mosaic Mosaic is a viral disease. The disease is quite unpleasant because it has virtually no treatment. The only remedy is prevention. And then you need to treat the seeds before planting. It is useless to treat diseased plants. The leaves of diseased plants acquire a variegated (mosaic) color - dark and light green areas alternate. Yellow spots sometimes develop on the fruits. If your tomatoes are sick with this disease, it is better to simply remove them. Mosaic disease mainly affects tomatoes in open ground. The first source of infection is infected seeds. For prevention, it is best to treat the seeds before planting.
Bacterial wilt of tomatoes (bacteriosis)
Why do tomatoes wither in open ground or in a greenhouse? The external manifestation of the disease is that the bush withers.
This is alarming to gardeners, as symptoms can appear overnight. In such cases we are not talking about a lack of moisture. Everything happens very quickly. When examining a dead plant in detail, you can notice a void inside the stem and the presence of liquid inside it. The internal tissues of the stem may take on a brown tint.
Sectional view of a stem of a plant suffering from bacterial wilt The disease cannot be cured. All diseased plants must be urgently removed and destroyed. Experts advise watering neighboring or all (even without signs of disease) plants with a 0.6-1% solution of Fitolavin-300 (watering volume - at least 200 ml for each plant). You can spray the plants with a solution of the same concentration. This will not cure already diseased plants, but will delay the infection of healthy ones (2-3 weeks).
Tomato stem necrosis
Viral disease. The first signs of the disease appear on the stems of well-developed plants, when the first bunches of fruit begin to form. Small cracks appear at the bottom of the stem, initially dark green in color. Then, in these cracks, the rudiments of aerial roots appear. The leaves begin to wither, the plant falls, the bush dies. The fruits do not have time to ripen.
The source of infection is seeds, contaminated soil. Such bushes must be torn out, destroyed - burned or buried. Treat the soil with a 0.2% solution of Fitolavin-300.
Alternaria or macrosporiosis (brown or dry spotting)
Fungal disease. It affects leaves, stems, and less often fruits.
First, the lower leaves become diseased and become covered with round, large, brown spots with concentric zonality.
The photos above and below show brown spots on yellowed leaves characteristic of this disease. Very often, novice gardeners skip this moment and do not pay attention to the yellow leaves, believing that it is simply the lower leaves dying off. Perhaps this happens.
But more often they realize it when all the leaves become dry (second photo below) and only the fruits remain on the plant. At this stage, you can no longer help the bushes. Therefore, do not wait, try to immediately pick off the leaves that begin to turn yellow.
Alternaria tomato blight, photo Brown spots increase in size, merge, and leaves dry out.
The spots on the stem are oval, dark brown, large, with the same zoning.
They cause dieback or dry rot of the stem.
Dark, slightly depressed spots form on the fruit, most often on the stalk. At high humidity, dark velvety sporulation of the fungus appears on top of the spots. The disease on tomatoes is activated at high temperatures, especially at 25-30°C.
The fungus is preserved on plant debris and greenhouse floors. Thanks to abundant sporulation, it quickly spreads with raindrops and wind.
Alternaria or macrosporiosis of tomatoes, photos and their treatment: for prevention - treatment with antifungal copper-containing drugs. At the first appearance of symptoms of the disease, treatment with Skor, Ridomil Gold or other antifungal agents. Skor and Ridomil Gold are strong chemicals- they can be used to treat plants before the ovaries appear, since the waiting period (until the fruits can be eaten is 50-60 days). If symptoms of the disease appear and the fruits are already hanging, then it is advisable to treat them with biological products, for example, Trichodermin or Immunotocyte, or Immunocytophyte.
Late blight (late blight)
Phytophthora - fruits 
The first signs of late blight Late blight (late blight) is perhaps the most common disease of tomatoes. It also affects tomatoes in open ground. Late blight is a fungal disease. And fungal spores, as we know, develop where there is dampness. Sudden changes in air temperature also contribute to the development of this tomato disease. First the leaves turn black and dry, then the fruits.
Watering greenhouse tomatoes through a bottle But an experienced gardener knows how to delay the onset of this tomato disease as much as possible in order to have time to collect the maximum amount of fruit. I use regular ones for this plastic bottles with the bottom cut off. I make holes in the side with a nail and insert the bottle, neck down, near the roots of the tomato bush. That is, I will water the tomatoes not on the surface of the soil, but through a bottle. A bottle of water should be covered with something on top, for example, a mayonnaise bucket. In this case, all the moisture will go to the roots, but no moisture will get into the air, and the leaves below will not sweat. That is, with this simple technique we do not create conditions for the proliferation of mushrooms in the greenhouse.
You can prevent the development of late blight in tomatoes growing in open ground or a greenhouse by regularly (once a week) spraying with whey. Lactic acid prevents fungal spores from developing. Also, for the prevention of late blight, drugs such as Fitosporin, Zaslon, Barrier are also used.
Chloratic leaf curl of tomatoes
Affected plants are distinguished by their light green or yellowish color, chlorotic appearance, short stature, and curly tops. The disease is caused by two viruses - tobacco mosaic virus and tobacco necrosis virus. Transmitted by seeds and contaminated soil. Control measures are the same as with mosaic - disinfection of seeds and soil. It is better to remove diseased plants.
Chloratic leaf curl of tomatoes is often confused with the appearance of leaf curl at the tops of bushes (information below).
Cladosporiosis or brown spot of tomatoes, treatment
Cladosporiosis of tomatoes, photo Brown olive spot (cladosporiosis) is also a fungal disease, but it mainly spreads in the greenhouse. The lower leaves become diseased first. Chlorotic yellow round spots appear on the upper side of the leaf, which will subsequently merge and look like one single spot. The underside of the leaf is covered with a brown velvety coating - these are fungal spores. As a result, the leaves gradually begin to curl and dry out. More often the disease manifests itself during flowering or at the beginning of fruiting. The earlier the infection occurs, the more harmful it is. With high air humidity (up to 95%), daylight hours of about 10-12 hours and low illumination, the disease is more acute.
In the pictures above you will see the manifestation of the disease in the process of development - from the moment the first signs appear until the peak of the disease (if you look at the photo from top to bottom).
Fetuses are rarely affected by this disease, mainly only if no measures are taken. If this happens, then the fruits become brownish-dark, soften - then they will dry out anyway. The cause of the disease may be watering with too cold water, a sharp temperature change, or dampness. Before treatment, all affected leaves are broken off.
Control measures are copper-containing preparations, for example, Bordeaux mixture or Barrier, Barrier.
Septoria, white leaf spot
Septoria Septoria leaf spot, white leaf spot, is a fungal disease. Reduces yield, causing premature drying and leaf fall. The lower leaves become diseased first. First, single rounded small light spots appear. The center of the spot is gray-white, and the edges are slightly darker. Then a black dot appears in the middle of the spot. The disease first affects the leaves, then the petioles and stems. After some time, the leaves turn brown and then fall off. High humidity and warm weather contribute to the rapid spread of the disease. The harmfulness of septoria increases in the second half of summer.
Septoria blight is not transmitted by seeds.
Treat with copper-containing preparations, for example, Zineb, Horus, copper oxychloride. The earlier the better. It is advisable to remove the affected leaves at the very beginning of the disease, even if only the growing point at the tops of the stems remains.
Gray rot
Gray rot Gray rot affects the aboveground organs of plants. Brown weeping spots appear on the leaves, buds, and flowers, covering the entire plant in 8-10 hours (usually overnight) with an abundant ash-gray powdery coating - fungal spores. The spots on the stems are brown or gray, at first dry, then slightly slimy. They are most often located around wound sites, for example, when stepsons break off or at the branches of stems. The viability of the spores lasts 1-2 years.
Gray rot - affects tomatoes at the end of summer, when it becomes cool and cold rains occur. This is one of the most common fungal diseases of tomatoes. It occurs when there is poor ventilation, when the greenhouse is poorly ventilated, with high humidity, or a violation of the temperature regime, if we are talking about growing in a greenhouse.
The first signs of gray rot on tomato leaves 
The first signs of gray rot on a green tomato 
The first signs of gray rot on a ripe tomato As long as the fruits have such faint whitish concentric spots, they are suitable for eating. There will be no particular problems with fruits that have time to turn red on the bush. But problems will begin (if measures are not taken in time) at the end of summer, that is, when you have to collect green fruits for ripening. Then such fruits will be the first to begin to deteriorate and can infect healthy fruits in the boxes. Therefore, if you notice fruits with such whitish concentric circles, it is better to tear off the tops of the bushes so that the fruits have time to ripen on the plant.
One way to combat this disease is to remove the affected leaves before the disease goes further and penetrates inside the trunk. It is advisable to remove leaves in sunny weather, so that by evening the places where the leaves are cut have time to dry out and fungal spores do not fall on the trunks. Try not to irrigate by sprinkling immediately after removing shoots or leaves.
To prevent gray rot, spraying plants with garlic infusion is useful - leave 30 g of chopped garlic (arrows can be used) for 2 days in 10 liters of water.
Brown rot (fomoz)
Brown rot Brown rot (fomoz) - develops near the stalk. It may be a small spot on the outside, but the core of the tomato will be completely rotten. To protect your crop from this disease, you should also avoid fertilizing with fresh manure.
Blackleg
This is a fungal infectious disease. The causative agent of blackleg is the fungus Rhizoctonia. Occurs in greenhouses or greenhouses. The spread of the fungus depends on growing conditions.
Fungal spores penetrate the root collar of weakened plants. The stem at the root darkens, thins over 3-5 cm, then rots. And the plants wither and die after 4-6 days from the beginning of wilting.
With sudden changes in temperature, high humidity, dense sowing in constantly used soil, and lack of ventilation, the disease progresses quickly.
The main source of infection is contaminated, waterlogged soil. When there is severe waterlogging in the light, microscopic algae begin to grow in the soil, on which the fungus grows. The rhizoctonia fungus, getting into microcracks on the trunks of seedlings, quickly spreads and the plant dies. The disease also spreads with plant debris, lumps of soil, and partly with seeds.
Control measures. Growing seedlings on infection-free soil. As pathogens accumulate, change the soil or pre-plant disinfection.
- adding sand to the planted plants with a layer of 2 cm, which helps dry the soil and form additional roots;
- liming of soil in greenhouses or greenhouses;
- loosening the soil;
- systematic ventilation;
- watering the soil with manganese-acid potassium (3-5 g + 10 l of water).
If a large percentage of seedlings are infected, it is usually recommended to treat the plants with Previkur or Funadazol. But these drugs are not effective against the rhizoctonia fungus. Try to find on sale remedies for diseases that contain mefenoxam (read the “composition” section in the instructions), for example, Ridomil, Uniform.
It is pointless to spray solutions of these drugs on the leaf, since the main culprit of the disease is in the soil. You will have to water the soil in which the plants are located. But first you need to dry the soil. This can be done by frequently loosening the soil or adding sand or peat to the pots of seedlings.
Root rot
Root rot - both tomatoes and cucumbers suffer from this disease. The main reason is poorly prepared soil - a lot of unrotted manure, damp, wet soil. To get rid of it, sometimes you have to change all the soil in the greenhouse.
Apical rot
Apical rot 
Top rot Variety Pink icicle Black spots on tomatoes, what are they? Blossom rot is a disease that affects only tomato fruits, on which black spots appear on the bottom of the tomatoes. This is not even a disease, but a physiological disorder in the development of the plant. Most often caused by irregular watering or insufficient calcium supply to the fruits in the initial stages of their growth.
But this does not mean that there is little calcium in the soil. At high temperatures, calcium simply cannot be absorbed by tomatoes. Therefore, if tomatoes grow in a greenhouse, you should monitor the microclimate and ventilate more often.
Top rot can also occur with a lack of moisture or excess nitrogen. Perhaps you overfed the plants, for example, with liquid manure.
If the microclimate in the greenhouse is normal, and fruits with signs of damage by blossom end rot appear, then you can feed the plants with calcium.
Egg shells (crushed), ash, dolomite flour - the main element is calcium. You can add any of them when planting. Please note that this method will only work as a preventive measure. If signs of damage appear, this method will not work.
A mixture of onion peels and eggshells also helps protect tomatoes from blossom end rot. But this is also like prevention. If already damaged fruits appear, then this method will not help. In the spring, pour a handful of crushed mixture of husks and shells into the planting holes of tomatoes and peppers.
The best way to add the required dose of calcium so that it is quickly absorbed is spraying with a solution of calcium nitrate (0.5-1%). The main thing is to treat the smallest fruits, even if they are the size of a pea, so spray the tops. Remove the affected fruits; they cannot be saved.
Regular watering, calcium nitrate at the root, calcium nitrate or Brexil Ca at the leaf - your tomatoes will never show signs of blossom end rot.
Fruit cracking
Fruit cracking is not a disease, but a consequence of improper care. 
This usually happens with uneven watering, with sudden transitions from dry to wet soil and vice versa.
But, if you notice such cracks on the fruits (see photo below), then the reason for their appearance is completely different. Such cracks in tomatoes are popularly called “mother-in-law’s smile” or “cat’s face.” the reason for their appearance is an overdose of nitrogen or improper use of pollination stimulants.
Yellow or green spot near the stalk
Why don't tomatoes turn red at the stem? Very often this phenomenon is a varietal feature. But sometimes it appears on the fruits of those varieties and hybrids that did not show such signs in previous years.
Below are two photos. The first is a green spot on the stalk - a feature of the variety, the so-called greenback - fruits with a green spot on the stalk. They are characterized by uneven coloring. By the way, there is an opinion that tomato varieties containing a high sugar content more often have this feature.
The second photo shows the fruits of the Cio-Cio-San variety. Here we are no longer talking about varietal features. High air temperatures in summer disrupted the formation of lycopene, which is why the process of carotene formation arose. Therefore, this is not a disease, the variety has nothing to do with it either. This is the effect of heat during fruit ripening. The pigment (red color of the fruit) has faded due to high temperature. This phenomenon can only be avoided by shading plants from the sun.
Variety Watermelon 
Variety Cio-Cio-San Silver spots on tomato leaves
Recently, questions from gardeners growing tomatoes in greenhouses about strange spots on the leaves of silver-colored plants have become more frequent.
Experts on plant diseases came to the conclusion that this is not a disease, but physiological disturbances in plant development, deviations from the norm. There may be two reasons:
- sharp fluctuations in day and night air temperatures;
- genetic deviations of hybrids, when, as a result of breeding work, poorly developed hybrids are quickly released into production.
Oedema (edema) - swelling of leaves
Oedema on tomato leaves There is such a phenomenon, or rather, a condition of the plant - oedema (edema) - swelling of the leaves when the watering regime is violated. It is not contagious, it is not a disease. It appears on leaves and stems when the leaf blade is oversaturated with moisture as a result of the fact that the liquid continues to move up the plant under the influence of intraroot pressure.
This most often occurs when the soil is warmer than the air temperature (for example, in cool weather) when the humidity is high. Such conditions contribute to the development of oedema. With it, convex spots appear on the leaves and stems, similar to white mold, sometimes solid spots, sometimes dotted, sometimes the stems and leaves curl, “break.” More often they say it’s from overflow. But it is not always the case. Not only humidity, but also air temperature plays an equally important role.
In this case, it is advised to ventilate the plants more often in order to normalize the humidity level, increase illumination (there is not enough sun), and increase the air temperature (there is also not enough heat).
Phytotoxicity of soil (soil)
This is not a disease, but a change in the properties of the soil as a result of inept, unprofessional use, for example, of pesticides, fertilizing or other substances, which, instead of having a positive effect, begin to have a depressing, poisonous effect on tomatoes or other plants. This can manifest itself in different ways.
We know of cases of spots appearing on leaves with a dark purple tint, which then dry out.
Pay attention to the last photo. Leaf damage occurs from bottom to top. This suggests that, most likely, nutritional standards were violated during watering; apparently the soil contains some nutrients that have a depressing effect on the tomato.
Other possible causes are increased soil moisture, too low air and soil temperatures.
Twisting (twisting) of leaves at the tops of bushes
This is not a disease, but rather a violation of the conditions of maintenance and nutrition of plants. Experts name several reasons for the appearance of curled leaves on the tops of tomato bushes:
- severe overwatering - the roots do not have enough air in very wet soil;
- poisoning of plants with herbicides (accidental contact with plant leaves);
- spraying with the growth stimulator Tomaton (preparations that are unbalanced in composition are often found on sale - this is the fault of Central Asian producers). By the way, with an increased dosage, any stimulants turn into herbicides.
Frequent loosening and hilling of tomatoes will help with overwatering. It will help normalize air exchange in the soil. But the second and third reasons are much more serious. It is unlikely that plants will recover from treatment with herbicides; most likely they will have to be removed.
Signs of lack of basic nutrients
If your tomatoes grow with some deviations from the norm, then it may not be a disease, but a lack of some nutrients.
First of all, you need to look at what part of the plant the problem is in - at the top of the bush, on young leaves, or at the bottom, on old leaves.
If the problem starts with the lower leaves, then most likely it is a lack of the following nutrients.
Nitrogen is one of the main elements necessary for the growth of tomatoes. He is responsible for both the leaves and the fruits too. With its lack, everything becomes small and pale. But nitrogen can be harmful when in excess. In this case, the tomatoes may simply become “fat” - the leaves will become huge, fat, the trunks will be thick, and there will be few fruits or they may not set at all.
Phosphorus is responsible for providing the plant with energy, for the development of the root system, resistance to cold and mechanical damage.
Potassium is an element of cell youth. It increases resistance to diseases, frosts, droughts, makes plants stronger, stronger, and improves the quality of fruits.
Zinc is responsible for phosphorus metabolism and the synthesis of vitamins. If you have a zinc deficiency, spraying with a solution of zinc sulfate will help.
Top of a bush with symptoms of zinc deficiency Magnesium – increases the intensity of photosynthesis, the formation of chlorophyll, is necessary throughout the growing season. Recommendations: foliar feeding(spraying) with 0.5-1% solution of magnesium sulfate.
The color of tomato leaves indicates magnesium deficiency Molybdenum regulates almost all metabolic processes - phosphorus, nitrogen, the formation of chlorophyll, the process of nitrogen fixation from the air.
Now let’s see what our tomatoes may be missing if the problems started from the top of the bush, that is, from the young upper leaves.
Calcium - its deficiency can provoke the development of blossom end rot. It also stimulates the development of the entire plant, its root system.
The photo below shows fruits with traces of sunburn. But experts believe that acute calcium deficiency can also manifest itself in fruits.
Boron - this element is responsible for pollination, fertilization, it is also involved in carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and increases resistance to disease.
Sulfur is a building stone for protein, is part of proteins, and is one of the starting products for the biosynthesis of amino acids. With its deficiency, the stems become thin, fragile, and rigid.
Iron - its deficiency does not occur very often, mainly in places where lime has been placed. But, nevertheless, iron is one of the main nutritional elements of tomatoes. Its deficiency manifests itself in leaf chlorosis. They become lighter, yellowish in color. It is necessary to treat with iron-containing complex preparations.
Not enough iron Chlorine - its deficiency is also rare, but, nevertheless, can lead to withering of young leaves.
Manganese – participates in photosynthesis, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, activates enzymes. Its deficiency can often be confused with a viral mosaic.
On tomato bushes we may encounter a simple leaf curling.
But this has nothing to do with tomato diseases or lack of any nutrients. It's all about the large difference in night-day temperatures, as well as the fact that we too abruptly removed a large number of stepsons and lower leaves. Most often this occurs due to heat.
What causes tomato leaves to turn yellow?
The leaves on the tomatoes began to turn yellow in abundance. But somehow strange, uneven. First from the middle, then the yellowness covered the entire leaf blade; there were also those that immediately turned yellow without transitions. Why is this happening?
If the leaves begin to turn yellow from the middle, this is a signal that the plant requires feeding with any potassium fertilizer. You can use, for example, ash. Take 1 glass of ash, dilute it in 10 liters of water, pour 0.5 liters directly under the root. Also, yellowing of tomato leaves can occur due to aging of the leaves; they just need to be regularly removed from the bush.
Two photos below: this is what the plants look like two or three weeks after planting in open ground or a greenhouse, if the soil in the root zone contains an increased concentration of salts.
These tomatoes were planted in soil generously fertilized with cow manure, which contains a lot of sodium and potassium salts. Expert advice: the soil should not be oversaturated with organic matter, and if this happens, you should water the plants more often in small doses to wash out excess salts from the soil. Over time, these spotted leaves will dry out and fall off, but new ones will grow without signs of oversaturation with salts.
Powdery mildew is a rapidly spreading fungal plant disease. Initially, a white powdery coating appears on the leaves, similar to flour or powder. It can be easily wiped off with your finger and even mistaken for ordinary dust. But it was not there! Before you know it, this infection will appear again, and in greater numbers, capturing ever new areas of habitat. Not only the leaves become white, but also the stems and flower stalks. Gradually, old leaves turn yellow and lose turgor. New ones grow ugly and twisted. If measures are not taken to cure powdery mildew, the plant will die.
This is what powdery mildew deposits look like when zoomed in: 
Ulcers at the site of mycelium formation Powdery mildew disease: where does it come from?
- The weather outside is cool (15.5-26.5°C), damp (humidity 60-80%), cloudy (for example, during the rainy season). Weather conditions have a particularly great influence on outdoor and balcony plants; when grown in rooms they are not so noticeable;
- there is a large amount of nitrogen in the soil;
- plantings are thickened;
- The watering schedule is not followed. For example, a plant is often watered without waiting for the top layer of soil to dry. Or, on the contrary, they regularly dry out the earthen ball and then fill it with water. All this leads to impaired immunity and, as a consequence, the appearance of powdery mildew.
In addition to these external conditions, already “awakened” spores can end up on flowers:
- by air (from infected trees or plants);
- through irrigation water (if spores got there);
- through your hands (if you touched an infected plant and then touched a healthy one).
Powdery mildew can completely destroy a plant in a short time Proper agricultural technology is an important condition in the fight against powdery mildew
The fight against powdery mildew is an integrated approach. First, you need to put in order the agricultural technology for growing the affected plant. This means:
- watering only after the top layer of soil has dried;
- while fighting powdery mildew, completely stop spraying;
- if possible, move the affected specimen to a brighter, sunny place until the powdery mildew is cured;
- thin out thickened plantings, tear off old leaves that touch the ground;
- for the period of remission - less nitrogen fertilizers, more phosphorus-potassium (if sick - no fertilizers at all).
All errors in care must be corrected, otherwise powdery mildew will appear regularly. Now let's talk about direct treatment.
How to fight powdery mildew: therapeutic spraying and watering
To get rid of powdery mildew, do the following:
- Cut off the affected (yellow, lacking turgor) leaves and all flower stalks. If powdery mildew appears on roses, petunias, chrysanthemums and similar bushy plants, it is advisable to carry out radical pruning. The more damaged branches are destroyed, the greater the chance of recovery;
- replace the top layer of soil in a container, pot or under a plant in a flower bed - entire colonies of mushroom mycelium are hiding there;
- carry out therapeutic spraying and watering of the plant with one of the medicinal preparations. When spraying, you should strive to wet all the leaves and shoots abundantly. The plant should pour like after a spring shower. There are more effective method: pour the medicinal solution into a basin and dip the bush into it. The soil is also generously moistened with the solution by spraying with a spray bottle or watering. The walls of pots and pallets are also processed.
Powdery mildew: folk remedies
Let's agree right away: folk remedies against powdery mildew are effective as a preventive measure or initial stages spread of the disease. If the destructive process started a long time ago, more than 5-7 days ago, it is already useless to fight in this way. It may be possible to stop the development of the disease, but not completely eliminate it.
The most famous and effective folk remedies for powdery mildew are prepared as follows:
1. From soda ash and soap
25 g of soda ash is dissolved in 5 liters of hot water, add 5 g of liquid soap. Spray the plants and top layer of soil with a cooled solution 2-3 times at weekly intervals.
A protective preparation against powdery mildew is prepared from soda ash and liquid soap (preferably laundry soap) 2. Baking soda and soap
Dissolve 1 tbsp in 4 liters of water. l. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. liquid soap. Spraying is performed 2-3 times with an interval of 6-7 days.
3. Potassium permanganate solution
2.5 g of potassium permanganate is dissolved in 10 liters of water and used 2-3 times with an interval of 5 days.
4. Whey solution
The serum is diluted with water 1:10. The resulting solution forms a film on the leaves and stems, which makes it difficult for the mycelium to breathe. At the same time, the plant itself receives additional nutrition with useful substances and becomes healthier, which affects its improvement appearance. Treatment with whey solution is carried out in dry weather, at least 3 times, with an interval of 3 days.
5. Horsetail decoction
100 g of horsetail (fresh) is poured into 1 liter of water and left for 24 hours. Place on fire and boil for 1-2 hours. Filter, cool, dilute with water in a concentration of 1:5 and spray the bushes. The concentrate can be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than a week. Spraying with horsetail can be carried out regularly to prevent powdery mildew in the spring and summer. In the fight against an existing disease (in the initial stage), 3-4 times spraying every 5 days is effective.
6. Copper-soap solution
This remedy for powdery mildew is highly effective due to the inclusion of a well-known fungicidal drug - copper sulfate. 5 g of copper sulfate are diluted in a glass (250 ml) of hot water. Separately, dissolve 50 g of soap in 5 liters of warm water. After this, carefully pour the solution with vitriol into the soap solution in a thin stream and with constant stirring. The resulting emulsion is sprayed on plants 2-3 times with an interval of 6-7 days.
7. Mustard solution
Mix 1-2 tbsp into 10 liters of hot water. dry mustard. The cooled solution is good for both spraying and watering.
8. Ash + soap
Stir 1 kg of ash in 10 liters of heated (30-40°C) water. The solution is infused, stirring regularly, for about 3-7 days. Then pour the liquid component (without the ash suspension) into a clean bucket, add a little liquid soap, pour it into a sprayer and carry out the treatment. Spray the plants every day or every other day 3 times. Add 10 liters of water to a bucket with ash particles that have sunk to the bottom, stir and use it for irrigation.
9. Infusion of rotted manure (better than cow manure)
Fill the rotted manure with water in a ratio of 1:3 and leave for 3 days. Then dilute the concentrate twice with water and spray the bushes.
10. Garlic infusion
25 g of garlic (chopped) are poured into 1 liter of water, kept for 1 day, filtered and sprayed on the collection.
Powdery mildew: treatment with chemicals
If powdery mildew appears on your flowers, combating it is most effective with the help of modern fungicidal agents. They have a detrimental effect on the fungus, stop harmful processes in plant cells, protect and treat it. Spraying is carried out 1-4 times with an interval of 7-10 days (depending on the chosen drug).
Chemicals for powdery mildew act quickly and effectively The most effective drugs for powdery mildew:
- Fundazol;
- Topaz;
- Acrobat MC;
- Previkur;
- Speed;
- Vitaros;
- Amistar extra.
A well-known fungicidal drug is phytosporin, the active ingredient of which is a concentrate of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis in a powder of chalk and humates. Despite the fact that phytosporin is considered a medicinal agent, it is practically useless against existing powdery mildew. However, as a preventive measure, it will work flawlessly.