Topic: Diseased Tomato Plants

[Magnolia]

I've just binned 3 of my 18inch tomato plants as they produced light brown spots on the leaves and the leaves quickly withered and dried up.  One of the plants had white fury lumps/bumps forming on its stem.  I've binned the compost and will disinfect the pots.

I've googled away and I'm not convinced its blight, perhaps it's some sort of mildew? What do you think?  Hoping that I don't loose anymore as the rest look lovely and healthy at the moment.

[manicscousers]

don't think it could be blight, it's not warm enough, is it ?

[springbok]

My seed leaves have gone brown and withered and fallen off.

I thought brown spots was sunburn?  Or Water burn!!.

Couple of mine look like that, with white feathery bits on the stems, but I was told it depends on the variety.

[Chris Graham]

Looks like sunburn to me

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's far too early, and too cold, for blight.

[tonybloke]

there are several possible causes of brown spots, followed by withering. 1, water on leaves leading to sun scorch, 2 Tobacco, if a smoker, wash hands before entering greenhouse, 3 tomato mosaic virus, possibly from hand contamination from purchased tomatoes!(wash hands after handling purchased toms)
rgds, Tony (hortic student)

[davyw1]

MAGNOLIA, have a look here two photos one of early blight the other Septoria Leaf Spot my guess it will be the latter

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/earlblht.htm

[morton]

Has there been any weedkiller sprayed nearby that could have blown on to the plants. This would cause brown spots and rapid die back of the leaves.

[Biscombe]

Were the lumps/bumps near the soil surface?

[Magnolia]

Definately looked like the early blight photo.  The plants effected were inside - 2 on upstairs window and the 3rd was in the front porch.  Plants in the plastic green house and on kitchen windowsill are fine - as are the remaining ones.

The lumps and bumps looked like a mould had started to grow all the way up the stem.  Furry to touch.

Don't smoke and haven't had any shop bought Toms in the house. 

[tonybloke]

the only way you can get blight in your house this early in the year is from infected seed

[Magnolia]

My pot hygiene wasn't very good with some of my plants.  I bought some used pots from the allotment and didnt wash them.  :-[ Wondering whether I could have picked it up from them.

[tonybloke]

the life cycle of blight does not normally include living on a pot. It normally over-winters in infected potatoes?

[davyw1]

I am wondering if it could be Spotted Wilt Virus

[davyw1]

My seed leaves have gone brown and withered and fallen off.

I thought brown spots was sunburn?  Or Water burn!!.

Couple of mine look like that, with white feathery bits on the stems, but I was told it depends on the variety.

White fur or white hairs

[Suzanne]

As they were grown indoors I agree with others that won't be blight Blight spores are spread through the air and need wet leaves to germinate on. If indoors its very unlikely that you will be watering the whole plant to an extent you wet the leaves.

Were the brown spots circular and crossing leaf veins or between the leaf veins as if the latter may be a deficiency rather than a disease. And for the white mould - any chance this could have been woolly aphid, which can be a bit of a b****r on indoor grown plants? It shows as a small clump of sticky cotton wool - it can also cause sooty mould to develop on leaves - which I suppose could be considered brown/black patches.