Skip to main content

What's Ailing Your Tomato Plants? This App Will Tell You

Support Provided By
Photo by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/">Scot Nelson</a>/Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">Creative Commons</a>
Photo by Scot Nelson/Flickr/Creative Commons

This time of year, gardeners around the state are hovering over their tomato starts, perhaps even harvesting their first ripe tomatoes. The sight of any abnormality could send some into a state of panic. For many growers, whether they're new at gardening or have been doing it for years, keeping a tomato plant healthy and productive through the end of the season can be one of the most frustrating tasks.

Tomatoes can suffer from any number of ailments, at any stage, from root to leaf: damping off, stunting, yellowing, wilting, and rotting. The fruits can crack or turn black, appear mushy or mottled, or never form at all as blossom after blossom drops from the plant.

As for what can be causing these symptoms, the list is long and confusing: too much water, too little water, hot weather, cold weather, excess nitrogen, calcium deficiency, fungi, bacteria, viruses, insects, and on and on. You practically have to be a scientist to determine what's going on with your plant.

Fortunately, a new app from the American Phytopathological Society (APS) called Tomato MD aims to help you identify and manage your plant problem, whether it occurs in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits. The interactive reference tool covers nearly 30 key diseases, insects, and physiological disorders that commonly affect tomatoes, and an extensive gallery of images and tips that cover everything from cultural to chemical management.

The app is based in part on two APS Press books: Tomato Health Management and the Compendium of Tomato Diseases and Pests, Second Edition. Information in the app was authored and peer-reviewed by several members of APS, a 100-year-old nonprofit that focuses on plant health management.

Tomato MD is available for $2.99 on iPhone and iPad.

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.