Problems on Tomatoes: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Issues on Fruit

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Updated 7.9.24

Problems on tomatoes can be from the onset of a disease, an attack from a tomato pest, or growing conditions that can lead to trouble.

Healthy tomato fruit are smooth. Skins are firm and have consistent color. In contrast, problems on tomatoes show themselves with spots or lesions on skin, other abnormal exterior markings, or inconsistent plant growth. As you monitor your plants daily, look carefully on all areas of the fruit. Look for these red flags on a particular areas of tomato fruit to quickly identify problems

Common problems on tomato fruit with Tomato Dirt #GardeningTips #VegetableGarden #HomeGarden

Top and shoulder

Stem end

Blossom end

Entire fruit

Steps to take to prevent problems on tomato fruit

  • Plant healthy, disease-free plants.
  • Stake plants to allow good air circulation to fruit.
  • Water at the base of plants. Overhead water spreads disease easily.
  • Water in the morning or midday to minimize the amount of time fruit is wet.
  • Monitor plants daily to check for pests.
  • Avoid working on plants when fruit is wet.
  • Remove and destroy affected plants at the end of the season.
  • Solarize soil at the end of the season to destroy soil-borne fungi and bacteria.
  • Rotate crops each year.



Get more help with tomato problems

Problems on tomato leaves ...

Problems on tomato stems ...

Other tomato problems ...

Tomato diseases: how to identify, control, and prevent them ...

Blossom end rot: how to identify, control, and prevent it ...

Tomato pests: how to identify, control, and prevent them ...

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