Is This Blight?

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

Sorry I have not been on for a bit, I have been busy with family.

I need to ask if this is blight on my tomato plant. It is only on one plant which has been apart from the rest for about 3 weeks. It is a black variaty so not sure if this makes any difference.

It is outside in a large pot but has developed really dark almost black stems almost all over it. It has been fed and water like the rest but it does not look happy.

Any ideas, cures etc will be very welcome.

Thanks, Mandy

[shirlthegirl43]

Any chance of a picture? Might help. If it is just the stems, I am going to hazard a guess that it is something to do with being a black tomato. Never grown one so couldn't say for sure. You don't mention blotchy leaves so maybe it isn't blight. There is a thread here http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=7795 where I posted pics of my blighted potato leaves - maybe you can compare my pics with your tomatoes and see if there is any similarity. Hope it isn't blight.

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Shirl,

I look at the link and it doesn't look the same. Here are some pics now, should have done that earlier!

Some leaves are a little curled up but it is the stem that worries me.

Thanks, Mandy

[shirlthegirl43]

I hate to say that it looks like it might indeed be blight. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to say I am wrong though.

[Alice]

Hello Mandy. Good to see you back. I can't see a thing wrong with your tomatoes. The damage to the leaves looks like weather damage to me. We've all had the same rubbish. In which case your tomatoes will be fine. I hope I'm right.

[mandyballantyne]

Thanks Shirl and Alice,

I agree that the leaves are weather damage but I am still concerned about the stems. Should I post a better picture? They are really going black and don't look good

[shirlthegirl43]

Worth a try with another picture.

I said it looked like blight to me as some of my spuds that had it looked like that on the stems - really hope I am wrong though.

[Alice]

Mandy, I don't think we get blight in Scotland. I've never heard of it. We certainly don't get it on potatoes and it's the same family. Anybody know for sure ?

[Sebbster]

You do get blight in Scotland but pretty rare, and last year most cases were in Aberdeenshire.

I cant tell from that picture too well but agree that weather damage is the most likely cause. Is that your only tomato plant and if not, are the others ok ?

[Alice]

Thanks Sebbster.

[SueA]

Hi Mandy, it does look a lot like blight on the stems but you usually get the blotches on the leaves as well. Ther isn't a cure as such, if it is blight it will spread rapidly through the plant & kill it & you should remove it & destroy it. I'd let it be for now though & see if anything else appears on it, just keep your fingers crossed, if it is blight you'll notice it spread to the other tom. plants next to it.

[Protea]

Although late blight (phytopthora infestans) blowing in from other crops etc is unlikely, there are other possibilites - it can be seed borne.

It could also be early blight (altanaria solani), but either way its odd that the leaves are not affected.

I personally would wait and see.

Just re-read your post and as the tomato is a black variety, it might just be what the plant looks like! I've never grown black ones so can't help there i'm afraid.

[moggssue]

Sorry to bring this back up again - but the stems on some of my tomatoes look just like the ones in the photos above (the variety affected is Big Boy). I have a couple of other varieties currently seemingly fine, and one plant on the outside of the group and constantly drying out it has to be said whose leaves are yellow, dry and dying off. All the fruits seem fine and there is no slime evident. There are 7 very large plants in all, 3 in a growbag and the rest in pots but all packed together. Can anyone please help, I'm very confused about this whole blight thing now and whether my toms have it or weather damage??!

[Headfry]

My stems are the same......exactly! mine are fed and have plenty of water ...............what is it?????

[multiveg]

At the leaf joints, in past years I've had mildew developing - especially if it is where I've tied it to some sort of support and it rubs against the stem.