Identifying and Treating Verticillium/Fusarium Wilt and Septoria Leaf Spo

[Brad T]

I garden organically in large and deep raised bed containers (tomatoes) clay pots (peppers) using good organic potting soil with some organic worm casings and organic cow manure. The ph is 7, and there is good sun in a screened in patio. I have questions about fertilization and disease. For tomatoes, do you prefer "Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable and Herb fertilizer (4-6-3)" or "Espoma Tomato-Tone (3-4-6)"?

I attached a picture of a pepper plant that I think may have Septoria Leaf Spot. If that's what I have, copper foliar spray should do the trick. Since I’m not quite sure what the tomatoes have, I sprayed everything using a foliar spray concentration tc of 1oz per gallon (Bonide Copper label says 0.5-2oz per gallon range). Assuming I don’t have sept Torio on the tomatoes, is it OK to spray them with this low concentrate copper solution every 10 days since it rains a lot in South Florida?

I attached 2 pictures of diseased tomato leaves and 1 picture of the entire plant. The disease set in 4-8 weeks after planting and progressed very slowly. I thought it was whitefly and treated with Neem Oil foliar spray, which allowed the disease to progress. The lower branches become diseased from the end leaf towards the stem, get black and then the leaf branches fall off. I assume this is Verticulum Wilt or Fusarium Wilt. I have Wildroot Mychorrizia, Dynomyco, and i've ordered Mycostop (because I can't find Actinovate in small packaging). I am beginning with a Wildroot drench for all these plants, and I will follow up with a drench of Mycostop. I will use the Dynomyco granules with all the new plants. So I’m using three different soil inoculants in order to try to go for a broad spectrum of the microorganisms. Do you recommend something different, including a different product or a different treatment regime, i.e., foliar spray of copper every 10 days on all these plants (taking care not to wet the soil), drenches with the soil inoculants as per the packaging, and using Dynomyco granules when planting the new plants? I have a bunch of new tomatoes coming and want to get this right.

[SeanInVa]

My not-professional opinion is:

You do not likely have septoria on either the peppers or tomatoes. I live in eastern virginia basically right on the chesapeake bay. We are hot and humid all summer long, and I battle septoria on tomatoes every year. It's my number 1 disease pressure. I also grow several different types of peppers every year. I have never once had anything that resembles septoria on those plants. That is not to say it's not possible, but peppers thrive here amidst all the septoria. I have had the spotting on my plants that you have, but it has never been a long term problem.

Having said that, my first inclination for the pepper is that it is minor sun scald. Perhaps caused by water droplets magnifying the suns rays

https://peppergeek.com/sunscald-peppers/

However, the black borders could also point towards anthracnose, though I am not confident in that diagnosis.

For the tomatoes, that does not look anything like septoria to me. In fact, it appears likely they are deficient in phosphorous, and perhaps nitrogen. Do you have any pictures of more advanced progression of this, perhaps from the branches that have already dropped?

y opinion though is that given the purpling and curling, and general anemic growth of that plant, it needs more food. I have had good success with Tomato Tone, but understand it takes some time to become available to the plant. I do not have any experience with Dr. Earth.

It's possible, since you mentioned the frequent rain, that the media is staying too wet, or perhaps nutrients are being washed away before the plant can take them up. You might try supplementing with a foliar fertilizer if that is the case.