Hi Guys,

I am a novice. I have grown some tumbling toms this year, having never tried anything like this before.

I grew them from seed and was delighted with their progress. I put them outside about 9 days ago and was horrified to see what I know think is septoria on the leaves.

They are all in pots but all appear to have these spots. I am soooo disappointed.

The pots are new and the compost is new. I dont have any potatoes or anything else in my garden.

1. Is this likely to be septoria?
2. Can I do anything about it?
a. Maybe take a cutting from a healthy bit?
b. Use a fungicide? If so, is there one I can get from a garden centre?

Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks for reading.

On May 23, 9:49*pm, Jennings
wrote:
Hi Guys,

I am a novice. I have grown some tumbling toms this year, having never
tried anything like this before.

I grew them from seed and was delighted with their progress. I put them
outside about 9 days ago and was horrified to see what I know think is
septoria on the leaves.

They are all in pots but all appear to have these spots. I am soooo
disappointed.

The pots are new and the compost is new. I dont have any potatoes or
anything else in my garden.

1. Is this likely to be septoria?
2. Can I do anything about it?
a. Maybe take a cutting from a healthy bit?
b. Use a fungicide? If so, is there one I can get from a garden
centre?

Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks for reading.

--
Jennings

In all my yearsI have never heard of septoria, where did you get this
idea from?
A picture of the infection would help.

"Jennings" wrote in message
...

Hi Guys,

I am a novice. I have grown some tumbling toms this year, having never
tried anything like this before.

I grew them from seed and was delighted with their progress. I put them
outside about 9 days ago and was horrified to see what I know think is
septoria on the leaves.

They are all in pots but all appear to have these spots. I am soooo
disappointed.

The pots are new and the compost is new. I dont have any potatoes or
anything else in my garden.

1. Is this likely to be septoria?
2. Can I do anything about it?
a. Maybe take a cutting from a healthy bit?
b. Use a fungicide? If so, is there one I can get from a garden
centre?


This describes it and has pictures
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/A2606.PDF
however it also states that infection (along with early blight) is most
likely during periods of moderate temperature and abundant rainfall.

This prompts me to ask for your location in the UK and your recent weather.

I have seen little spots on the leaves of young tomato plants when they go
outside, especially when it is a bit cool, but they seem to survive O.K.

You may be over reacting to the check the tomatoes get when they move
outside to much harsher conditions.

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

http://bigjennings.files.wordpress.c...05/disease.jpg

Thanks for the replies guys.

There is a photo above. It isn't brilliant, I can do another if you need.

Here are the answers to your questions.
- I got the septoria idea from googling 'tomato spots'. The description of septoria wasn't a perfect match - but it looked close from the images.

- I libe in the NW of England. The weather had been very nice - but lateley has turned slightly cooler with wind and rain.

Some other facts:-
All the plants (around 10) have the markings.
Mainly on lower branches.
I did keep the tomatoes under a pergola (with ivy on it for a week).
I didn't do any hardening off.

Thanks again for any help.

Jennings wrote:
http://tinyurl.com/4ylfops

Thanks for the replies guys.

There is a photo above. It isn't brilliant, I can do another if you
need.

The markings look familiar, but I can't place it. My dad thinks it's from
poor watering.

Personally, and I'm no expert (despite the hundreds of tomato plants that I
go through each year - I'm still learning, just on a bit of an over
enthusiastic route! :-) I would take off the branches that are affected if
they are low down ones, then top up the soil a little higher to make up for
it.

But if someone else has a different suggestion, I'd go with theirs not mine.

It's early to be putting them out in the NW - it's possible to get frost up to first week of June

Some mineral deficiencies can cause spots on leaves.

All the web references to it seem to originate in the US - I haven't heard of it in the UK. Doesn't mean to say it doesn't happen.

One reference seemed to suggest that, not only do the leaves need to be wet to be infected, the temperature also needs to reach 60 deg. I'm not sure it's done that in the N of England in recent weeks!

This will sound callous, but you have to be prepared for disappointments in gardening. There will rarely be a year where everything goes to plan. At least one of your crops will fail.

On May 24, 10:41*am, wrote:
Jennings wrote:
http://tinyurl.com/4ylfops

Thanks for the replies guys.

There is a photo above. It isn't brilliant, I can do another if you
need.

The markings look familiar, but I can't place it. *My dad thinks it's from
poor watering.

Personally, and I'm no expert (despite the hundreds of tomato plants that I
go through each year - I'm still learning, just on a bit of an over
enthusiastic route! *:-) I would take off the branches that are affected if
they are low down ones, then top up the soil a little higher to make up for
it.

But if someone else has a different suggestion, I'd go with theirs not mine.

Several things it could be.
When tomato plants get wet in the evening and the temp. drops you can
get several things start which then stop when the plant dries up and
the temp rises.
It is always a good idea to look at the back of the leaf as most
things will start there and work through to the front.
Mildew, Botritus, cladisporium are 3 possibilities

Big thanks to everyone who took the time to reply.

I have taken a few of the plants indoors to see if they recover.

Is there anything else I should do?
Fungicide spray? remove branches showing symptoms? Wait it out?

If they've already been outside, then they'd have started getting used to the lower temperatures, so I'd be inclined to leave them out, but keep an eagle eye on weather forecasts and bring them in at night if there's any possibility of frost.

Other than that, I'd relax and leave them.

Unless there's some sort of infection that looks like it can crawl from leaf to leaf (fungus type for example) I would always leave leaves on if there's enough green area for them still to be doing useful photosynthesis. And best not to spray with anything until you're sure what it is you need to spray against. And then think twice if it's a food plant.

If you're feeling really despondent, go and buy yourself a few replacement plants just in case (or ask on Freecycle - gardeners always have either none of a plant or far too many)

Thanks for the reply. My tumbling toms seem to be faring better.

I brought a few plants indoors and they have come on alot. So I put them outside again.

The plants that remained outside seem to be doing better.

So it looks like it was either because I put the out too early or because I used some tomato feeder whilst they were too young.

Incidentally, one plant is far and away the best. It is in a large pot of its own (the others are two to a pot). I am tempted to separate the others - but I am not sure if it is too late. Any advice?