If the tomatoes you plant yourself show brown leaves, this damage puts hobby gardeners on high alert. Concentrated research into the causes is of the utmost urgency. You can find out what problems could be behind it here.
Why do tomatoes get brown leaves?
Brown leaves on tomatoes can be caused by late blight, pests, fungal infections or nutrient deficiencies. To resolve the problem, remove affected plant parts, check fertilization, and optimize growing conditions, such as:B. through rain protection.
Main suspect: late blight and brown blight
If brown leaves appear on tomatoes during warm, humid weather, there is a risk of an outbreak of the dreaded late blight. Just 10 hours of continuous humidity triggers the spores of the pathogen, which multiply explosively. Brown spots on foliage and stems are considered the first symptom of the plant disease. Remove all discolored plant parts immediately and dispose of them in household waste. Also learn about blossom end rot and yellow leaves on tomato plants and read how to identify, treat and prevent other tomato diseases.
Also find out about black spots on tomatoes.
Since there is currently a lack of effective control agents, the prevention of brown rot on tomatoes is becoming increasingly relevant. Potatoes should never be planted in close proximity. Always choose a sunny, airy location. To prevent the leaves from becoming unnecessarily moist, always give the water directly to the roots.
Trigger in dry weather
If brown leaves appear on tomatoes in consistently dry weather, this is no reason to give the all-clear. Various other causes are possible, with fatal consequences too.
- Pests of all kinds, such as aphids, tomato rust mites or thrips
- Drought spot disease at temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius
- Tomato wilt caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium Michiganense
- Stem and root rot, a common fungal infection following irrigation errors
- Leaf spot disease, also a fungal infection with additional curling leaves
Brown leaves signal a lack of nutrients
If diseases and pests have been ruled out as culprits, take a critical look at the fertilization of your tomato plants. A lack of certain nutrients sometimes also causes brown leaves:
- Nitrogen deficiency causes the leaves to turn brown from the tip
- a lack of phosphorus causes the roots to wither and turns the leaves brown
- too little potassium causes brown edges of leaves that spread towards the center
- When there is a shortage of magnesium, the leaves initially turn a light yellow, later a brown color
Tips & Tricks
If you plant your tomatoes under a rain cover, you have the best chance of not being confronted with brown leaves. It is not absolutely necessary to have your own greenhouse. With a little craftsmanship, you can build a rain roof yourself and improve the growing conditions many times over.
