Brown Spots on Tomato Leaves? Leaves Turning Yellow? It Might be This!

If you notice brown spots on your tomato leaves it could be caused by a couple very common fungal issues: early blight and septora leaf spot. Early blight has some distinctive characteristics that resemble brownish gray spots on the leaves. Septora leaf spot is another issue that shows up with brown leaf spots that eventually will turn your leaves yellow. If these diseases are left untreated they will defoliate your tomato plants and reduce your tomato crops. Since both issues are fungal diseases you can treat them with the same methods!
Talked about in this video:
-Pruning techniques to reduce fungal diseases
-Early Blight
-Septora Leaf Spot
-Treatments for Fungal Diseases on Tomato Plants
My Website:
GrowingTheHomeGarden.com

[@adriankap2978]

First year planting semi-determinate tomatoes since they seem to be easier to grow than indeterminate. Someone said to help fend off diseases to add 2-3 aspirins whole or powdered, I had powdered on hand and applied to 2 of the 9 plants not knowing how they'll react and as a comparison to the rest. Just planted a week ago so don't know yet but they seem to be healthy seedlings so far. I'll check back in a few weeks from now to give an update. Also said to sprinkle a teaspoon of baking soda at the drip line to sweeten the fruit. When they get a little bigger I'll be trying that.

[@AngeMaje]

Thanks for the explanation and photos of what early spring blight looks like.

[@Growingthehomegarden]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@kstroup1200]

Very explanatory!! I have been researching for days and only had confusion. This is my first year and am having this despite doing all the right things you have spoken about. Thank you so much!!

[@beverlycharles6534]

Yep me too. I feel confident that as he said it in the soil be bc I am experiencing this across plants in containers and in ground. I am so mad. I believe I also got root knot nematodes from a nursery that was not well kept. This vid is helpful the important thing is trying not to cross contaminate to compost and new plants. 🤞

[@dottiedestefano9420]

Great video!! Thank you!

[@bonniepatterson-payne2197]

So very practical. Thank-you!

[@Growingthehomegarden]

You're welcome!

[@LimewireK]

Thank you so much for explaining so well. I was shocked to see brown spots on my plant but did not know what it was

[@Growingthehomegarden]

You're welcome!

[@Trthsker24]

Happy Fathers Day. Thanks for info. We get blight or something yearly, trying mulch, diatomaceous earth and hay.

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Thank you! Mulching helps. It keeps the fungus from bouncing up to the plant from the soil.

[@jenscott143]

Thank you so much this helped me a lot I only have 2 tomato plants for now and they got fungi too bad

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Just try to keep them pruned up for good air circulation. Make sure any infected foliage gets disposed of and doesn't get put in the compost bin. It can stay in the soil for a couple years.

[@ksockhak]

which brand of copper fungicide do you recommend?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Bonide has one you can use but I'm not particular on brands.

[@a_a846]

Hi.very informative video. I think I have same problem with my tomatoes plant but in early stage.can I use garlic chili spray also for prevent my plant to this problem? If yes then plz tell me the ratio of garlic and chili thanks in advance

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Thanks for watching! I don't think a garlic and chili powder would work for this. It might work well in keeping deer or rabbits away. I think you will need a fungicide of some type to slow down the spread of the fungus.

[@a_a846]

@@Growingthehomegarden thank u.i have one question more is backing powder and baking soda r same?

[@NicolaiAAA]

Ugh. It's been raining a lot here lately and one of my plants has now been hit *hard* with septora. Been taking off so many bits but I'm worried because I see brown marks on so many of the stems. :(

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Have you used a fungicide to slow the spread? We've had a lot of damage as well this year due to fungal issues. High humidity and lots of rain.

[@jetpond7904]

Thank you but this is happening on all our tomato plants. Does it spread across plants?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

It can. Just try to manage it the best you can this year then plant in different soil next year. Put something else in a different family in the tomato location next year.

[@ABombs1]

I have this on young plants barely a foot tall... Does that mean they are essentially doomed? I'm in major Shanghai lockdown and struggling even to find baking soda.... Sigh

[@Growingthehomegarden]

I wouldn't say doomed. Pull the infected foliage off as best as you can and dispose of it. You can manage it until it puts out some fruit. I would use different soil for your next plants or rotate a different crop in those beds next time.

[@ABombs1]

@@Growingthehomegarden Thanks! For sure some are more deeply affected than others so I could maybe limit the pruning. I have another theory though, which looks similar... Thrips! I never heard of them before but... it's worth investigating. They sound like doom, too though XD

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Insecticidal soap would help with thrips.

[@mohammedkaleb1006]

It could just be calcium deficiency caused by not enough calcium or too much potassium

[@mohammedkaleb1006]

If it’s calcium deficiency you will likely get blossom end rot if you don’t rectify

[@Growingthehomegarden]

This is not a calcium problem. That usually happens earlier in the year and our soil is full of limestone (which contains lots of calcium). Definitely a disease issue in this case. To your point those deficiencies in nutrients can and do lead to easier infections by pathogens.

[@dharma4044]

Can I spray the neem oil before rain or after the rain

[@Growingthehomegarden]

I would wait until after the rain. Also avoid the heat of the day and the sun. So evening is the best time.

[@elberbelbers]

I’ve got brown spotting all over and some of the tomatoes (cherry) have brown speckling, too and splitting which started about a week ago. Yes, rain after a long dry period. Can I treat the entire plant somehow? It’s a big indeterminate that’s covered up with new green tomatoes waiting to mature and turn. I just don’t want to lose the tomatoes I already have on the plant. Thanks.

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Remove some of the leaves to open up the tomato plant then use a copper fungicide on the remaining leaves. Make sure the product says its ok to use on tomato plants. You won't be able to cure this but can controlled it. Also don't through any of the infected material in the compost bin. You will also want to plant tomatoes in a different spot next season. Fungi can remain in the soil for a coue years.

[@Yankees177]

These look like they have flea beetles too right?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

They may have a little damage from flea beetles. They don't seem to hurt the tomatoes too bad but almost always eat up the eggplant.

[@gretchendavis8974]

I hear Eagles in the background

[@middlechild6956]

In a hospital your hands would considered to be “contaminated” when you touch a patient and that’s why washing your hands between patients is mandatory. Why would you not transfer the fungus from your hands to the other plants?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

Because I'm pulling the branches off and only actively touching the ones that are to be removed. It isn't perfect and there will always be some risk of contamination but I'm not cutting with pruners which would spread to the main plant. The important thing is to get enough branches cleared for better air circulation.

[@arthurjock4179]

But you are not cleaning your hands, why would that not spread it?

[@Growingthehomegarden]

I'm doing my best to not cut into the plant when I break a branch away. By doing that I'm not introducing it INTO the plant but removing more of the infected material. Nothing is perfect but I try to to touch the clean material with contaminated material. One could carry around hand sanitizer if they wanted and clean after touching each contaminated plant.