Hello all,

Please peruse the photos here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5qeuBjNEFFKXBc926

It seems to me that every year most of my tomatoes, in containers and in ground in different beds, end the season in dreadful shape. Other folks' tomatoes I've notice end the year with mostly green foliage. Further, I've noticed - I might be wrong - that the tomatoes that produce a lot in one go in August seem to be the ones that die off quickly, other things being equal. This year, I pinched all early flowers, I pruned to two or three stems, followed a fertilizing schedule diligently, and I had better production than I've ever had in August, and then death. And I can't figure out the disease or what the problem is. On the other hand, my peppers and kale are perfect and highly productive, as always.

Any ideas?

Salaam

I see more than one issue with your plants. There is Gray Mold, Gray Leaf Spot and nutritional deficiency. As fall approaches it is hard to keep the plants healthy during the cool evenings when moisture sits on the foliage but it is not impossible with a little work.
Next year, come the end of July or early August you should supplement your plants with a good feeding. The plants are bigger and need more food than when they were small, so step up the feeding to keep them going. You will also need to spray them with an anti-fungal. I use Neem oil with good results. Sometimes I will use copper and alternate that with Daconil.

Hi Salaam
There is always a point every year when the tomatoes finally go down to their favorite diseases. The only way to avoid it is to cut them down without mercy while they are still healthy and green.
The compromise situation, while fruit is still expected to grow and ripen, is to ruthlessly remove every diseased leaf without any concern about defoliating the plant. Those leaves are done. They have nothing to give to the plant, except to pass on the disease spores they are laden with, and spread it to other plants as well. Dispose or compost in a way that prevents spores from blowing back to the growing area.
A well fed tomato plant can produce new leaves in a very short time. Take the bad away, feed, and watch new leaves appear. That is, unless the days are already to cold and short, in which case the end is inevitable.
If other folks have tomato plants looking healthy and green at the end of season, there are several possibilities
(1) they practiced regular sanitation of the plants, removing diseased leaves at the first sign of it, pruning to maintain good air flow, and feeding
and/or there are no other host plants for the fungal diseases near the growing area
(2) they are strictly growing resistant varieties which are adapted to the conditions and diseases in the area
(3) fungicides, stress treatments such as kelp or salicylate, and some other pamperings may keep plants happy for longer. If the weather is too hot, actions to ensure the roots stay cool and moist (mulch, drip tape, etc) for example. If too cold, keeping roots warm. And so on.
(4) Plants that produce more leaves than fruit, are always the ones that stay healthy for longest. Factors include: tomato variety, amount of N ferts (high N makes a higher leaf to fruit ratio), amount of sun per day (lower sun produces more leaf, less fruit).
Maybe those perfect plants didn't produce as much fruit as yours?

Rest assured that the only tomato plant without disease at the end of season, is the one I mentioned first, which was cut down before the end.

My plants always look terrible by September. I just don't worry about it and keep picking tomatoes as long as possible.

Wow, [mention]Bower[/mention] ...EXCELLENT OBSERVATIONS!! (Note to self: Pay more attention to what [mention]Bower[/mention] says....)

My plants are in 5' tall cages and all of the foliage at the top is nice and green but the bottom leaves are all shriveled and spotted. If you took a quick look at my plants you might think that they are full and green but the bottom half of the plants all look terrible.

Thanks everyone for your observations.

Next year I'll try to take all your suggestions into account.

You're right, Bower, those with green plants have much more foliage than tomatoes. Before this year, when I didn't prune to a couple of stems, I the plants lasted longer, but I had less production. Indeed, the two plants that remained the healthiest this year were cherries that I did not prune.

But I was at a hobby/commercial greenhouse three weeks ago where the tomatoes were beautifully green and ten feet long!!! I'll ask them what they're doing.

I still find it funny how in our northern climate my peppers do so much better then my tomatoes.