Can anyone identify this leaf problem?

[jhouse]

Hi all,

I have 17 healthy looking tomato plants, had a little trouble with aphids & sprayed Azamax a week ago -- tiny bit of early blight looking lower foliage & pruned those off -- but I found this tonight on new foliage on an otherwise healthy looking plant, just a few stems of leaves with a grayish curled up thing going on. The shriveled leaves are crispy. The shriveled leaves are higher up on the plant, which is blossoming and has a bit of small fruit growing.
Our weather has been pretty warm (in the 90's) and very very humid.

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thanks if anyone can help, maybe it's no big deal but it seemed odd to me. . .

[jhouse]

After going back to the garden, I noticed some bumps on the main stem, and figured a photo of the whole plant might help. It's the only plant with any bumps on the stem.
Again, maybe it's nothing, but better to catch something early if it is "something".
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[ginger2778]

The upper pictures are grey mold. Trim off and bag up those affected leaves then do a thorough upper and lower leaf and total stem spray with a liquid copper fungicide, use the WEAKEST dose recommended on the label. More strength can cause the new growth to stunt and curl.

[jhouse]

I sprayed all plants (underside and top) of foliage with Daconil (chlorothalonil) fungicide 2 days ago, to prevent early blight -- wonder if I missed those areas, or if it isn't gray mold? We have been awfully humid.
Does the copper fungicide do something different than the Daconil, or would both be the treatment for gray mold?

[zipcode]

Those kinda look like burned leaves more than mold, but the pictures aren't quite clear.
Happens if the plant wilts due to lack of water, and then the sun and heat finishes the job and dehydrates the drooping leaves. Look closely for any type of fungal growth on those parts.

[Barbee]

Originally Posted by jhouse

I sprayed all plants (underside and top) of foliage with Daconil (chlorothalonil) fungicide 2 days ago, to prevent early blight -- wonder if I missed those areas, or if it isn't gray mold? We have been awfully humid.
Does the copper fungicide do something different than the Daconil, or would both be the treatment for gray mold?

What time of day did you spray?

[jhouse]

sorry the pics aren't better quality. . .I didn't see any other obvious wilting on it or on any other plants, but they were due for a watering (did so this morning).
There weren't any fuzzy bits anywhere, and what with the crispy leaves, I kind of wondered about them being thirsty myself.

There was no sign of mold on any stems at all. I was out before dawn to water, so it was dark, but with my flashlight I didn't see other signs of mold or damage today, so nothing spread.

I read as much as I could about gray mold, it does seem a bit odd that it would happen in 90
degree weather, apparently it's more active when it's cooler -- and I had just sprayed a fungicide.?

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by jhouse

I sprayed all plants (underside and top) of foliage with Daconil (chlorothalonil) fungicide 2 days ago, to prevent early blight -- wonder if I missed those areas, or if it isn't gray mold? We have been awfully humid.
Does the copper fungicide do something different than the Daconil, or would both be the treatment for gray mold?

Daconil is a good preventive, copper is a better treatment for control once they are sick.

[jhouse]

I sprayed the fungicide early morning, don't recall the exact time.

I did have to spray Azamax mid afternoon (temp in the 80's) last week because of storms, (aphids), and got a bit of leaf damage from that -- mostly larger lower foliage, fairly minor damage. I've got a few curled & leathery leaves, not too many, again lower foliage -- I prune the lower foliage to help prevent early blight, and that may have stressed the plants, or maybe they're stressed from something else.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Barbee

What time of day did you spray?

That's a good question. But the affected areas aren't general, just specific, and when I sprayed with higher sun, I always got splotchy burn, this is more of complete, but selected leaves. Not all types of fungus show as patches, some show as leaf damage. I'm still thinking foliar fungal.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by jhouse

After going back to the garden, I noticed some bumps on the main stem, and figured a photo of the whole plant might help. It's the only plant with any bumps on the stem.
Again, maybe it's nothing, but better to catch something early if it is "something".
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The stem bumps are just root primordia. Nothing of any consequence.

[jhouse]

I guess I'll know at some point if this plant is sick or was just dry -- but alternating fungicides is probably a good idea anyway.

As luck would have it, we're going out of town for the weekend, so hopefully whatever it is doesn't get worse in the next few days. I could pick up some copper fungicide and spray that one plant before we go . . .

[clkingtx]

It sounds silly, but sometimes when working with the plants, I accidentally knock a leaf branch askew here or there. I will come back the next day and see foliage dying like your picture. When I look closer, I see that the "circulation" of the plant has been cut off, causing the branch to die back. Fungus sometimes attacks this dying branch, but sometimes not. I guess it depends on the humidity.

Just an idea.

[jhouse]

not silly at all.

I would love for this to be "pilot error" and not gray mold!

With the plants growing this fast, sometimes I tuck them back inside their cages, could very well be what's happened.

One stroke of luck, we've been much less humid the last 3 days -- Sunday was downright brutal, 90 something and the most humid I've ever felt, then Monday cooler and much drier feeling.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by jhouse

I sprayed all plants (underside and top) of foliage with Daconil (chlorothalonil) fungicide 2 days ago, to prevent early blight -- wonder if I missed those areas, or if it isn't gray mold? We have been awfully humid.
Does the copper fungicide do something different than the Daconil, or would both be the treatment for gray mold?

IMO Daconil is best for the two most common fungal foliage diseases of Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot,while there's nothing really good for home growers for the two most common bacterial diseases of Bacterial Speck and Spot,but copper or Maneb or Mancozeb might help.

I've never had to deal with Grey Mold where I've gardened,I know it can mimic other diseases, so would suggest reading the label on Daconil,the concentrated one,not the ones already diluted,to see if it is active against grey mold.

Carolyn