I have got dark marks on the stems of my tomato plants like bruises What is it?

Tomatoes get a disease known as Early Blight. It is characterized by numerous brown spots that start on the lower leaves and work up the plant. Sometimes Early Blight occurs on the stems and will eventually will cause defoliation of the plant. Early Blight is very common during warm, and humid conditions. To prevent Early Blight, plant certified disease-free seeds or transplants, and plant disease-resistant tomato cultivars.



The fungus spends the winter in infected plant debris in or on the soil where it can survive at least one and perhaps several years. It can also be seed borne. New spores are produced the following season. The spores are transported by water, wind, insects, other animals including man, and machinery. Once the initial infections have occurred, they become the most important source of new spore production and are responsible for rapid disease spread.



To control: Remove and destroy crop residue at the end of the season. Practice crop rotation to non-susceptible crops (3 year rotation). Be sure to control weeds. Provide good air circulation around your tomato plants. Orient rows in the direction of prevailing winds, avoid shaded areas, and avoid wind barriers. Irrigate early in the day to promote rapid drying of foliage. Avoid overhead watering if you can. Improve the fertility of the soil to encourage growth of vigorous plants. Hand picking diseased foliage may slow the rate of disease spread but should not be relied on for control. Do not work in a wet garden.



Tomates can also suffer from a disease known as bacteria canker. Later symptoms include brown stem cankers that frequently crack open, and spots on the fruit. The fruit lesions have a dark brown center surrounded by a white ring, with a characteristic “birds-eye” appearance.



Bacteria canker can be controlled culturally through use of disease-free seeds, use new or cleaned tomato cages or trellising, cleaning pruning tools with 10% bleach solution or 75% alcohol, 3 year crop rotations, do not overhead water, do not work your garden when wet and use compost as a soil amendment.

I have got dark marks on the stems of my tomato plants like bruises What is it?
well I have a Big Garden and really don't know what they could be.If your Tomato plants are producing Tomato's I would not be concerned about it.We just sprinkled Miracle grow on our whole garden that help they plants produce much faster.Make sure you water your Garden around 8 so that the water soaks into the ground.
Reply:with all this wet weather it could be powdery mildew or blight

if its on all the plants leave it and see if they fruit ok, if on one only dig it up and burn it to stop ther rest getting infected
Reply:Sound suspiciously like blight. If so you must remove all traces of leaves with this stuff on and burn or bin it. If its all over the plant rip it out and dont plant tomatoes in the same area. With all this warm wet weather blight will hit us all eventually.

good makeup