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Why Do My Grape Tomato Plants Have Brown Spots at the Tips?

Learning to spot the telltale signs of problematic, even fatal plant diseases is an important skill for any gardener to possess--even more so when growing food plants, since diseases can render the food inedible. Black spots appearing on grape tomato plants, for instance, can indicate any number of serious tomato diseases, all of which can affect grape as well as any other varietals of tomato.
  1. Early Blight

    • Among the most common tomato diseases that cause black spotting is early blight, a disease caused by the fungus Alternaria solani. Symptoms are most noticeable during warmer months. Alongside the black spots you will notice yellowing leaves that defoliate prematurely. Tomatoes on the vine may sunburn due to the extra sunlight exposure. Since early blight infections are typically spread by fungus living in soil, new plants should be relocated to a different part of the garden, away from infected plants. Treat severe infections with sulfur dust.

    Blossom End Rot

    • The symptoms of blossom end rot are more conspicuous on the fruit itself. Black spots begin, as the name implies, on the blossom end of the tomatoes and enlarges. The spots also turn black and leathery. The cause of blossom end rot is thought to be a calcium deficiency due to extreme weather conditions. The best way to manage blossom end rot is to remove damaged fruit and manage watering and fertilization schedules more carefully.

    Fusarium Wilt/Crown Rot

    • Fusarium wilt and crown rot are caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum, a common problem for tomatoes everywhere. The earliest symptom is yellowing of tomato leaves. As the disease progresses, leaves turn brown and black and wilt badly. No fungicides are currently approved for fusarium wilt or crown rot in tomato plants. Fortunately, there are numerous tomato cultivars available with a high resistance to the disease.

    Septoria Leaf Spot

    • The least likely diagnosis is septoria leaf spot, symptoms of which include white and gray spots on stems and other parts of the tomato plant's vasculature. The spots have black margins, so under certain conditions the black spots on your tomato plants could be the result of septoria leaf spot. The control methods for septoria leaf spot are similar to those of early blight. Simply place tomato plants in a new area of the garden to prevent infection from the soil-based fungus and treat severe infections with sulfur dust.