| Symptom |
Possible Causes |
Possible Cures |
|
| Young plants dying |
Fertilizer burn |
Mix fertilizer in thoroughly with soil. |
|
Disease (damping-off) |
Treat seed; avoid over watering. |
|
| Stunted plants |
Low soil fertility |
Test soil to determine fertilizer needs. |
|
| Stunted plants-pale yellow in color |
Low soil pH (too acid) |
Test soil for lime recommendations. |
|
Poor soil drainage |
Increase drainage by adding organic matter. |
|
Shallow compacted soil |
Work soil to greater depth |
|
Insects or diseases |
Identify and use control measures. |
|
Nematodes |
Test soil and treat as recommended. |
|
|
| Symptom |
Possible Causes |
Possible Cures |
|
| Stunted plants-purplish in color |
Temperatures too cool |
Plant at recommended time |
|
Lack of phosphorus |
Add phosphorus fertilizer |
|
| Holes in leaves |
Insects |
Identify and control as recommended |
|
Hail |
Be thankful your plants are still standing! |
|
| Spots, molds, darkened areas on leaves and stems |
Disease |
Identify, spray or dust with environmentally safe control, use disease resistant varieties. |
|
Fertilizer burn |
Keep fertilizer off plants |
|
|
| Symptom |
Possible Causes |
Possible Cures |
|
| Wilting plants |
Dry soil
Excess water in soil
|
Irrigate consistently
Drain if possible, reduce watering until soil is dry
|
|
Nematodes |
Test soil and treat as recommended |
|
Disease |
Use resistant varieties if possible |
|
|
| Symptom |
Possible Causes |
Possible Cures |
|
| Weak, spindly plants |
Too much shade
Excessive water |
Move to sunny location
Avoid over watering |
|
Plants planted too thickly
Excess of nitrogen |
Space plants farther apart
Avoid over fertilization |
|
| Blossoms appear, but few fruits develop |
Temperatures too hot |
Plant at recommended times |
| |
Excessive nitrogen |
Avoid excessive fertilization |
| |
Insects |
Identify and control as needed |
|
| Tomato leaf curl |
Heavy pruning in hot weather |
Don't prune in hot weather |
|
Disease |
Identify and control as needed |
|
| Dry brown to black rot on blossom end of tomato |
Low soil calcium levels |
Amend soil with lime |
|
Excessively dry soil. Amend soil with lime. |
Irrigate if possible |
|
| Symptom |
Possible Causes |
Possible Cures |
|
| Misshapen tomatoes (cat facing) |
Blooming during cool temperatures |
Plant at recommended time |
|
| Abnormal leaves and growth |
Damages from weed killer |
Use chemical-free methods to combat weeds. |
|
Virus disease |
Remove infested plants to prevent spreading. Control virus transmitting insects. |
|
| Deep holes chewed in fruits |
Bird or chipmunk damage |
Slip nylon stockings over fruit to prevent access. |
|
| Concentric cracks in fruit around stems |
Growth cracks |
Consume cracked fruit quickly. Mulch plants and keep soil evenly moist while fruit ripens |
|
One of the greatest joys of the gardening season is harvesting plump juicy tomatoes. If your harvest is less than you hoped for this year, here is a page to diagnosing and treating some common tomato troubles.
