Good grief, my tomato seedlings have a disease already? Help... please.

Well folks, While watering this morning, I had an unpleasant discovery.  Some of the leaves on my young tomato plants are beginning to get splotches and the leaves are withering.



I have to say, I fear this might be my own dumb fault.  These young plants were near a plant that belongs to my wife.  Her plant developed a fungus disease after all the rains we had.  I've done all I can think to rescue it, but it's just gotten worse.  I should have disposed of it.

Since my wife's plant was close to some of my seedings, I am wondering if what it has was transmitted.

Not all of my seedlings have these markings.  It only affected one tray.  Also, the Sungolds were hardest hit.

Here is a snapshot of my wife's plant:



I sprayed the tomatoes with a mixture of neem oil an liquid peppermint soap.  I figured it can't hurt.  Does anyone have any ideas?

If these were my plants I'd have to figure out what it was first. If you're not overhead watering, I'm going to take a guess and say early blight. You could try mixing baby asprin with water and using it as a foliar spray.  Same with diluted seaweed fertilizer if you have any.. Try different things on different plants if you have more than one that's infected. That way if it ever happens again you'll know exactly what to do.

I didn't know you had Sungold seeds.

CC

Oh no.  At least mine made it into the ground before they started showing spots.  I am terrible with figuring out diseases and treatment but that does not look like early blight to me.  If you left it outside to harden off, you exposed it to all this rain and any little fungus that hit the leaf would love you. I would take it to the county extension office and leave it there (or leaves in a zip lock bag along with a picture of the entire plant) and let them diagnose the problem and recommend a solution.  Every time I take them a diseased plant (or diseased leaves), their solution is to spray with Ortho Complete.  You have to tell them you are trying to be organic and see if they don't have a less drastic solution.  At least you will know what the disease is and then you can look online for a cure (if available).

Thanks for your replies ladies.  Yeah, I did leave these out on the porch to harden off.  However, I left three trays out and only one is affected... which is good I guess is good.

I've sort of quarantined the affected plants by separating them from the others and keeping them far apart.

I just spoke to the Extension Office and someone who can look at them will be there between 12 and 3 today.  I'm going to take the plants during that time.  I will let them know about my organic preferences.

What's truly sad is that, of all the plants, Sungolds are my wife's favorite.  She was a bit heartbroken to see all four Sungolds affected by this.

Windmere wrote:Well folks, While watering this morning, I had an unpleasant discovery.  Some of the leaves on my young tomato plants are beginning to get splotches and the leaves are withering.

Does this look similar to your disease.


I found this on one of my potato plants when I walked through my garden tonight.  Since tomatoes and potatoes are in the same family, they might be the same.  So let me know what the county extension office says about your disease.

Yipes yolos!  That does look awfully similar.  I'll let you know as soon as I hear back from them.

Windmere, did they say how long it will take them to respond to you?

Here is what someone on another forum said about my diseased potato leaf.  He is very experienced but it sure doesn't look like early blight to me.  We shall see when Windmere gets his answer.

"Looks like either Early Blight or maybe Alternaria but the treatment is the same for both fungal diseases - remove all affected foliage and dispose of away from the garden and spray regularly with Daconil or the fungicide of your choice."

No CC, I forgot to ask.  I had a big gardening day today, so I lost track of time in terms of remembering to call them.  I planted my wife's hydrangea and sort of planted two roses.  Sort of because I planted one in the wrong spot.  I'll move it tomorrow.

With regard to the current condition of these affected tomato plants:  There is new leaf growth that does not seem to be affected by the black blotches.  I don't want to be too optimistic... like yolos said, we'll see what the extension office comes back with.

I don't yet have an answer from our Extension office, but only because they are sending samples and data analysis to UGA.  An Extension Office master gardener called me this morning to let me know their progress and to assure me that they are actively working on this.  He said I should know something the early part of next week.

On a positive note, he doesn't think this markings are a disease.  I am inclined to agree.  I've noticed significant growth on the affected plants; the new growth is completely clean of black blotches.  Just since two days ago, there seems to be noticeable growth.  I still keep the tray of affected plants away from the other two trays of plants, so ... just in case... I should be ok.   The other plants are the picture of health.

I'll keep you posted. 

I received the results from our extension office.  Basically, the black splotches were "environmental" and no disease was present:

Good Morning,

I sent images to our specialist in Athens and attached is her diagnosis. It appears to be environmental and as to why one tray got it more than others is a mystery. Keep watching them and pick off the leaves that are affected. The plant here is growing well and new growth does not seem to be affected. It's still here if you would like to come and pick it up.

Thank you!

County Coordinator
Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent
UGA Extension – Fayette County

OFFICIAL ANALYSIS:

Diagnosis:  Environmental Stress; Problem,  Abiotic disorder 

Recommendation: This appears to be some sort of environmental damage that happened when the plant was younger. Possibly physical (chemical? fertilizer burn?). It does not appear to be spreading. I do not see signs of disease.

So I'm in the clear!  Here's what that tray of tomatoes looks like today:

 
So glad you didn't throw them out!
CC

Glad they are okay.  I have been watching my potato leaf that looked just like yours and it has not spread so maybe I will be okay also.

Windmere,