What's Happening to my Tomato Plants? Diseases and Pests in Tomato Plants

Tomato Plant Diseases and Pests" width="277" height="213" class="image" />Growing tomatoes are very rewarding for any gardener. Even an amateur can grow tomatoes as they are very easy to grow. There is however a downside – there are a vast number of pests and diseases that can attack your plant. Tomato diseases are rarely fatal and most of them are preventable and treatable. The best place to start is to prevent diseases from attacking your plant.

Ways to Prevent Tomato Pests and Diseases From Attacking Your Plant

Choose tomato plants carefully. Healthy plants are more likely to resist disease and other problems

Always using fresh compost for growing tomatoes.

Use the right soil and fertilizer and make sure you water your plants regularly – but ensure that there is good drainage so that it is never waterlogged.

Keep garden tools and equipment clean as this stops the spread of disease

Remove any unhealthy leaves as soon as you spot them to prevent diseases from spreading.

What Pests and Diseases Should I Look Out For?

Whitefly – These are the most likely pests you will find on your plant. The adult flies look like tiny moths and they lay eggs on the underside of the leaves. These insects feed on plant juices and leave a sticky residue on the leaves. These bugs have developed a resistance to many conventional insecticides and therefore the best way to deal with them is to hose the underside of the leaves with a bug blaster.

Aphids: You might see them on the stems of your young tomato plants. Greenfly and blackfly are aphids and they suck the sap of the plant. While it is unlikely to kill the plant, it causes the shoots and leaves to become weak and distorted. To manage aphids from spreading, simply pinch of the affected leaves and throw them in the garbage. Alternatively, use insecticidal soaps or botanical oils - these help to control the spread of Aphis.

Red Spider Mite: These are tiny mites that are not visible to the human eye. But they cause leaves to yellow and become mottled. These are normally only a problem in dry times. It is very easy to control these mites as they hate moist conditions. Just spray the plants with a fine mist of water as often as possible to prevent infestation.

Tomato Blight: This disease can affect the foliage, stems and the fruit of tomatoes. The signs are brown marks on the leaves which quickly increase in size. If untreated, the disease will spread to the fruits as well causing them to develop dark spots as well. To prevent the disease from spreading, remove the affected leaves and clean fall garden debris. Copper and Sulphur spray available from garden shops will control the fungus

Verticillium Wilt : This fungus thrives in cool temperatures where the soil is moist and not to warm. The lower leaves are attacked first. Yellow spots appear followed by brown veins. The leaves then turn brown and fall off. Plants may wilt during the day and recover at night. If cool conditions persist, the plant may die. There are currently no chemical treatments available for this fungus. To treat remove the infected plant. Using a fertilizer high in nitrogen and potassium will slow the spreading process down.

In Summary

Left unchecked, tomato pests and diseases can inflict damage to your plants and even destroy them reversing all the hard work that you have put in.

Monitoring the plants daily will allow you to spot any early signs of infestation. Check leaves, stems and roots thoroughly. When treated early, they can prevent the disease or pests from spreading and damaging the rest of your crop.