|
Tomato - Greenhouse Troubles |
|
Trouble |
Symptoms |
Treatment |
Prevention |
|
Blossom End Rot |
Leathery dark-coloured patch at bottom of fruit |
None |
Don't allow soil or compost to dry out |
|
Blossom Drop |
Flowers wither and break off |
None |
Water regularly and mist the flowers in the morning |
|
Blotchy Ripening |
Parts of the fruit fail to ripen |
None |
Control the heat in greenhouses and feed and water
regularly |
|
Buckeye Rot |
Brown concentric rings around a grey spot on unripe
fruit |
None |
Tie up lower trusses to avoid splashing. Apply a
mulch. |
|
Dry Set |
Fruitlets stop growing |
None |
Mist plants twice a day with water |
|
Eelworm |
Stunted growth. Discoloured and wilted leaves. Tiny
white cysts on roots. |
None |
Don't grow tomatoes or potatoes in infested soil for
at least six years. |
|
Foot Rot |
Stem bases are brown. Tends to affect seedlings. |
None |
Use sterilised soil or compost to raise seedlings.
Don't over water. |
|
Greenback |
The area around the stalk remains green and hard |
None |
Provide shade to greenhouses to control the heat.
Feed regularly. |
|
Ghost Spot |
Grey mould spores fall on fruit leaving 'water spots' |
None |
Provide good ventilation. Control Grey Mould and do
not splash fruit when watering |
|
Greenhouse Whitefly |
Tiny moths on underside of leaves. Leaves are pale
and curled. Sticky fruit with black mould. |
Spray at first sign of attack |
None |
|
Grey Mould |
Grey mould appears on damaged stems and can spread |
Cut out diseased area |
Ensure adequate ventilation, avoid over crowding and
remove decaying leaves and fruit. |
|
Hormone Damage |
Fern-like and twisted leaves. Twisted stems and
stalks. |
None |
Ensure lawn weed killer does not come in contact with
plants |
|
Hollow Fruit |
Hollow fruit |
None |
Avoid too much heat or cold. Water regularly. Ensure
adequate potash in the soil. |
|
Leaf Roll |
Rolled leaves is not a bad sign in young leaves as
long as they are dark green. In older leaves it may be due to side
variations in day and night temperatures. Provided no pests are
present then no action is required. |
|
Magnesium Deficiency |
Yellowing between veins of leaves. Starts on lower
leaves and moves up. |
Use a foliar spray containing magnesium |
None |
|
Potato Blight |
Bark brown blotches on leaves. Brown, shrunken areas
on fruit. May develop during storage. |
None |
Tomatoes grown under glass are not always infected
but to prevent a likely attack or for outdoor tomatoes use a
protective spray of mancozeb (Dithane) or copper (Murphy Traditional
Copper or Vitax Bordeaux Mixture). Try to apply these before the
symptoms are seen but if this isn't possible use as soon as
possible. They will not totally prevent infection, but often slow it
sufficiently to save the crop. |
|
Root Rot |
Roots are brown and corky. Plants wilt in hot
weather. |
Mulch to encourage new roots |
Use new soil or fresh compost |
|
Sun Scald |
Pale brown, papery-skinned depression on side of
fruit facing greenhouse glass |
None |
Paint glass and damp down well. Do not mist plants at
mid-day. |
|
Split Fruit |
Fruits split |
None |
Keep roots moist |
|
Stem Rot |
Stem bases are brown. Tends to affect mature plants. |
None |
Sterilise greenhouse and equipment |
|
Tomato Leaf Mould |
Purple brown mould patches on underside of leaves,
yellow patches on upper side. Lower leaves attacked first. |
Remove some of the lower leaves and spray at first
sign of attack. |
Ventilate greenhouse at night |
|
Tomato Moth |
Large, green or brown caterpillars tunnel into fruit
and stems. |
None |
Spray when small caterpillars holes appear in leaves |
|
Virus |
Mottled and curled leaves. Dark vertical streaks on
the stems. Stunted growth. Mottled and bronzed fruits. |
None |
Buy virus-free plants. Spray to control greenfly |
|
Verticillium Wilt |
Leaves wilt in hot weather. Lower leaves turn yellow.
Brown streaks through the stem tissue |
Mulch around stem to encourage new roots. |
Don't grow tomatoes in infected soil |
