Discoloration on tomato plant leaves

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millsy5 Cork, Ireland Jul 21, 2022

Hi,
I'm growing a tomato plant in a container. Recently I noticed the dark patches and discoloration on one of the branches (see attachments). Any suggestions on what the cause of the issue might be e.g. disease, over/under watering, nutrient deficiency, etc.? I'm a noob so don't know a whole lot about growing.

I'm growing Moneymaker which are Indeterminate. According to Google they grow up to 200cm (79") in height. Currently the top of the plant is 53cm (21") from the top of the soil.

The container is 12l (3.17 US Gallons) which may be too small?

I grew the plant in 100% compost (packaging says it's a reduced peat mix enriched with seaweed).

I use an inorganic liquid tomato fertilizer which has a mix of 4-5-9. I read somewhere to fertilize once every 2 weeks so have been doing that. I think I may have given 3 applications so far.

I normally water every 1-2 days, depending on the temperature.

Let me know if any additional information is required and I'll try to provide.

Thanks

Thumbnail by millsy5 Thumbnail by millsy5
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MaypopLaurel Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b) Jul 21, 2022

Does this pot drain? It is too small. Seven gallons would be minimal. Peat is poor in nutrients. It's a good seed starter but not a good growing medium. It's subject to compaction as well. Seaweed is great but alot of these additives are relatively low in nutrients. Also, seaweed and coco fiber can carry risidual salts. It might be best to use a slow release fertilizer rather than a fertilizer schedule. Watering should occur when the first few inches of soil are dry, not on a weekly schedule.

This looks more like a nutrient deficiency than disease which may be because either the medium and additives are lacking or poor drainage is preventing proper uptake. However, we are at mid-season and, with less than ideal conditions, disease becomes more likely. You might be able to pot up with some help and use an all purpose mix. If you go this route, do it in the early evening. This will reduce the chance of shock.

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millsy5 Cork, Ireland Jul 22, 2022

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll head to the local garden center right away and get a larger pot.

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