How did you fare with the 2nd storm last night? Lots of wind. Hope you are ok. Another round tonight. Stay safe. Here are two more tomato diseases. Hope your tomatoes are doing ok.

​Yellowing leaves with brown, target-like spots? That’s early blight. Credit: AmBNPHOTO

​When early blight hits the fruit, it shows up as sunken, leathery spots near the stem end—often with concentric rings. Credit: Plant Pathology

  ​Good morning…we made it through another night of storms and wind.  Only 12 miles from here in Rockwell, they have lots of trees down.  We have one in Dougherty, lots of branches down but are ok around the greenhouse.  This spring Larry worked on taking down several dead ash trees.  Three would have affected his shop’s electricity, and 2 would have landed on the west greenhouse.  So thankful that he did that. We had another .5 of rain.  Sadly we aren’t done, another round of thunderstorms for tonight and rain most of tomorrow. But we go from 90 degrees heat index to a very normal summer day with temperatures in the 70’s and low humidity for the rest of the week.  I am looking forward to that.  Then I will work outside in the greenhouse area doing what I must do.  Plant, see what to keep, and compost.  I have lots of ideas yet on containers to plant. I am working on next year’s project on what grows well in containers for your garden.   
Continue to stay safe and stay cool.
 
Australia family and friends for July 30 Wed will have a low of 38F(3C) with partly cloudy conditions continuing through the morning.  Wind gusts are up to 7 mph.  Looks like a chance of rain and a high of 55F(13C)  Stay warm, stay safe.
 
Tomatoes might be our favorite garden crop, but they often come with a host of leaf problems—yellowing, spotting, curling, wilting—that can look very similar and be tricky to diagnose. These diseases can spread quickly once they take hold, making prevention key. One of the smartest ways to protect your crop is to choose tomato varieties bred for resistance to common diseases in your area. Whether you prefer slicers, paste, or cherry tomatoes, many disease-resistant options—hybrids, heirlooms, and open-pollinated types alike—are available. Pairing the right variety with good care brings you closer to that perfect summer sauce.
Beyond choosing the right plants, simple practices like mulching to block soil splash, pruning for airflow, and watering at the base can help manage or even prevent most tomato leaf problems. Gardeners have battled these challenges for generations—long before modern fungicides—and time-tested habits still go a long way.
Today, I posted two more tomato problems.  The first one leaf curl is from being too dry, so don’t think that will be a concern this year.  The second one is the blight.  Have a read about them, and good luck with your tomatoes.
Leaf Curl
Leaves curling up like scrolls? That may just be your tomato trying to conserve moisture in hot, dry weather. When tomatoes curl their leaves, they’re usually stressed from a hot spell—not sick. Think heat, wind, or water woes.
But watch for yellowing or stunted growth. Leaves curling upward as if rolling in toward their center can be caused by the tomato yellow leaf curl virus. The disease is transmitted by whiteflies, which can bring it from nearby weeds or other infected crops. Symptoms include yellowing leaf margins (the edges) and curling leaves, stunted growth, and dropped flowers. Because this disease is insect-transmitted, you may find it on one plant but not its neighbor, which is a good sign it isn’t a soil-borne fungal issue.
There isn’t much to do but remove the infected plants and dispose of them to prevent whiteflies from continuing to feed on them. Keep weeds controlled around the garden, as some of them may be hosts for whiteflies.
Many diseases can cause spots on tomato leaves, and early blight is a likely culprit. We have an entire article about early blight, because it’s a common problem. It’s a fungal disease caused by two different species of Alternaria.
Early blight typically first appears in midsummer and initially presents as small, dark brown spots on older leaves near the soil line. The spots are round, but are larger than other diseases, ranging from the size of a pencil eraser to as big as your thumbnail. They may develop concentric rings, similar to a bullseye or rings on a tree, and the leaf tissue surrounding the spots will begin to turn yellow. Eventually, the leaves wither and drop. Fruit can also be affected, developing dark, leathery spots.
To combat early blight, trim off and dispose of infected foliage, and keep the leaves dry. Avoid watering in the evening, and water at the base of the plants if possible. Mulch plants to prevent soil from splashing onto the leaves, and fertilize them to keep them growing vigorously. Planting disease-resistant cultivars will give you a good head start.
Plant Diseases
Early blight of tomatoes is a common issue that many tomato gardeners face. If left unchecked, it can destroy your tomato plants and severely hamper your harvest. Here’s how to watch for signs of early blight and keep it in check.
What Is Early Blight?
Early blight is a fungal pathogen of tomatoes. It also affects plants like peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and other members of the nightshade family.
This fungus first attacks the lower leaves of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc., and moves up the plant. It is often confused with Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium and Fusarium wilts, and bacterial leaf spot.
How Does Early Blight Spread?
During wet or humid conditions, like warm days with significant rainfall or morning dew, the fungus that causes early blight can replicate rapidly. Spores can be produced as quickly as 3–5 days after spots first appear.
These spores are then ready to infect more areas of your plant or drift to an adjacent victim. Alternaria spores can be spread by wind, people and animals, and by contaminated tools. Lower leaves commonly become infected when in contact with contaminated soil or when soil is splashed onto the leaves by rain or irrigation.
High humidity levels, rain, and wind contribute to the spreading of Alternaria spores. In other words, warm, humid summers with evening thunderstorms, like many of us experience in June, July, and August. The spores can overwinter in the soil and in contaminated plant material.
Early blight can cause cankers that girdle the plant. The Alternaria fungus also releases phytotoxins, toxic chemicals to the host plant—your tomato or potato. The result is struggling or even dead plants, and a reduced harvest.
Identification
Early blight begins on lower older leaves in midsummer when temperatures warm. Watch for these signs when walking in your garden:
Small dark spots may appear on older leaves near the soil. Spots are brown and round and may develop concentric rings.
Early blight spots range from the size of a pencil eraser to almost as big as a dime.
Leaf tissue surrounding the spots may turn yellow.
Eventually, infected leaves will turn brown completely and wither. They may fall off or remain attached to the plant as dried-out husks.
Stem infections are often oval in shape and also present in concentric rings.
Fruit can be infected and develops dark, leathery spots with raised ridges. Infection happens near the stem, and the fruit may drop off.
Is It Early Blight or Another Problem?
As mentioned, several tomato diseases are commonly mistaken for each other. Sometimes, your tomatoes may have more than one issue going on.
Here’s a quick primer, and if you want more information on how to avoid misdiagnosis, check this page from NC State Extension.
Early blight: ¼ to ½ inch brown spots on leaves. Oval spots on stems. Fruit is affected near the stem. Many spots will have concentric rings like a bullseye. Starts on lower leaves.
Septoria leaf spot: Much smaller spots on leaves than early blight. Spots are usually round, about 1/16 of an inch, and often light gray in the center.
Fusarium and Verticillium wilts: Wilting is the key indicator. Stems will show brown fungus inside the water-carrying tissues. Leaf yellowing is common. Fusarium may wilt only one branch or one side of the plant at first.
Early blight is a fungal disease, and for the home gardener, mass application of fungicides is not practical or advised. Your best option is to apply some Integrated Pest Management principles to limit the fungus’ spread and survival.
Prevention and Monitoring
Early blight is common in tomato gardens. While it may be impossible to prevent it completely, several measures can limit the spread and intensity of early blight.
Closely inspect any transplants you purchase and bring home. If starting plants from seed, disinfect your containers and tools to kill any potential fungus from the previous season.
Alternaria are soil-borne fungi, so cleaning your equipment is essential. Snippers, cultivators, shovels, trowels, and any tool used on your tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers should be disinfected before moving to another area of the garden.
Give your tools a quick scrub to remove soil, then dip or spray them with a mild bleach solution.
Choose Tolerant/Resistant Plants
Some tomato varieties exhibit more tolerance to early blight. Unfortunately, this tolerance doesn’t mean complete immunity, but rather that the tomato will “shrug off” and be less affected by the fungus.
Many hybrids and even a few heirloom varieties are available that are less susceptible to Alternaria fungi and blight.
Treatments for Early Blight
Early blight cannot be cured, and cultural methods such as those below are the most effective for the home gardener. Fungicidal treatments for early blight are costly, environmentally damaging, labor-intensive, and thus not practical.
Keep your plants growing vigorously
Fertile, rich soil and lots of sunlight can go a long way to helping tomatoes (and potatoes, peppers, and eggplants) keep marching when early blight starts to show up.
Compost will help your tomatoes to thrive, without the lack of fruiting that too much artificial fertilizer can cause.
Irrigate from below
If you irrigate your garden, try to avoid overhead systems for your tomatoes. Alternaria thrive in wet, humid conditions. The combination of damp foliage and soil splash from overhead sprinklers can worsen a fungus problem.
Use drip irrigation or, if you water by hand, take care to water at the base of the plant and not from up high.
Mulch, mulch, mulch
Mulch is your friend. From weed suppression to soil protection and eventual breakdown into the soil’s organic matter, mulch is hard to beat. In the case of early blight, mulching reduces soil splash from rain or irrigation. It provides a barrier to fungus movement from the soil to the lower leaves.
Prune your tomatoes
Keeping the lower leaves from touching the soil, and promoting airflow through the plant, especially near the ground, can significantly reduce the likelihood of many tomato diseases becoming established. Remove those bottom leaves that aren’t doing much, and let in some fresh air.
Remove infected tissues early
Leaves showing signs of early blight should be pruned off and disposed of. Bury them deeply or burn them. Slowing the progression of the fungi can provide the plant an edge to keep growing up top and have time to give a batch of tasty tomatoes.
Removing the entire plant in the fall after your harvest will eliminate a significant spore source for next spring. Spores can overwinter in the dead vegetation they infect.
Rotation is important
For early blight, rotating where you grow tomatoes and related crops can provide a considerable advantage to your plants.
Alternaria fungi overwinter in the soil, so grow something from a different plant family for two years before returning tomatoes, potatoes, or other Solanaceae to that plot.
Taken from Taken from https://www.almanac.com/whats-wrong-my-tomato-plant-visual-guide-leaf-problems
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com, Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer, or Becky’s Greenhouse