Black dots on tomato plants on fall in zone 6, can I over winter them still?

[toolmania1]

I am getting black dots on my tomato plants. It's October in zone 6. All year I did not have issues with anything like this. The weather is getting cool. Can I over winter these plants still or should I pitch them?

 

[Chuck]

Tomatoes are grown as annuals. Having said that the record life span for a tomato plant was in Indonesia and the plant lived 7 years. BUT, this was in perfect climactic conditions and with great care. The older a tomato plant gets the less it produces and the more susceptible it becomes to diseases and your plant is already showing signs of fungal disease as per the black spots on the plant. You would be much much better off by pitching it and growing something other than a tomato in that soil.

 

[MiTmite9]

Tomatoes are grown as annuals. Having said that the record life span for a tomato plant was in Indonesia and the plant lived 7 years. BUT, this was in perfect climactic conditions and with great care. The older a tomato plant gets the less it produces and the more susceptible it becomes to diseases and your plant is already showing signs of fungal disease as per the black spots on the plant. You would be much much better off by pitching it and growing something other than a tomato in that soil.

I lived in Bali for a couple years, off and on. Visited Lombok and Java, too. Can't remember ever seeing a tomato or tomato plant there, but my stay was decades ago. *Learn something new every day.*

Also: I was laughing, when I read the "Can I overwinter?" part. I'm in SoCal and have yet to hear of anyone growing a tomato plant that lasted through the winter, much less in Plant Zone 6.

 

[toolmania1]

I lived in Bali for a couple years, off and on. Visited Lombok and Java, too. Can't remember ever seeing a tomato or tomato plant there, but my stay was decades ago. *Learn something new every day.*

Also: I was laughing, when I read the "Can I overwinter?" part. I'm in SoCal and have yet to hear of anyone growing a tomato plant that lasted through the winter, much less in Plant Zone 6.

Look up The Millennial Gardener on YouTube. He has taught me a lot. Yes, we grow tomato plants in zone 6 all the time. Yes, we can over winter them. They basically go dormant inside out houses into spring. They are actually tropical plants, I did not know this. They do not need full sun. They typically live for 5 years under tall trees in the tropical areas. So the take their time to grow. Why we need full sun in zone 6 and other zones is because we get frost. So we have to jam 5 years of slow growing into a few months lol. At least that is what I have learned.

 

[Anniekay]

@toolmania1 YOU ASKED whether you should dump them or try and overwinter them, right?

We gave you good advice, yet you quote some youtube video to argue that you CAN overwinter them.

If you want to struggle along pampering your tomato plant indoors over winter, go right ahead. Why bother asking any of us, then? We aren't agreeing with you, accept that and do as you please.

It's a futile effort because seed planted in pots inside in January in Jersey (or anywhere else) or bought at a garden store will out-do any plant you choose to overwinter. Just because you read that some guy overwinters his does not mean that overwintering is better than starting with a new tomato plant.

But hey, what you do with your time is your business.

To everyone else: Dump your old tomato plants and plant new in spring.

 

[toolmania1]

@toolmania1 YOU ASKED whether you should dump them or try and overwinter them, right?

We gave you good advice, yet you quote some youtube video to argue that you CAN overwinter them.

If you want to struggle along pampering your tomato plant indoors over winter, go right ahead. Why bother asking any of us, then? We aren't agreeing with you, accept that and do as you please.

It's a futile effort because seed planted in pots inside in January in Jersey (or anywhere else) or bought at a garden store will out-do any plant you choose to overwinter. Just because you read that some guy overwinters his does not mean that overwintering is better than starting with a new tomato plant.

But hey, what you do with your time is your business.

To everyone else: Dump your old tomato plants and plant new in spring.

@toolmania1 YOU ASKED whether you should dump them or try and overwinter them, right?

We gave you good advice, yet you quote some youtube video to argue that you CAN overwinter them.

If you want to struggle along pampering your tomato plant indoors over winter, go right ahead. Why bother asking any of us, then? We aren't agreeing with you, accept that and do as you please.

It's a futile effort because seed planted in pots inside in January in Jersey (or anywhere else) or bought at a garden store will out-do any plant you choose to overwinter. Just because you read that some guy overwinters his does not mean that overwintering is better than starting with a new tomato plant.

But hey, what you do with your time is your business.

To everyone else: Dump your old tomato plants and plant new in spring.

I apologize. I meant nothing bad by it. You have been very helpful. Yes, you do respond. Thank you for that. I am listening to you. You have taught me a lot already.

 

[Plantove]

It sounds like your tomato plants may be showing signs of a fungal disease, like early blight or bacterial spot, especially since the weather is cooling down in your area (Zone 6). Cooler, wet conditions can encourage these types of issues. The black spots you're seeing could be a symptom of one of these diseases.

As for overwintering, tomato plants are typically grown as annuals in most climates, including Zone 6, because they don’t do well in cooler temperatures. While some people try to bring them indoors or protect them with covers, it might not be worth the effort since they’re already showing signs of stress and disease.

At this point, I’d recommend removing the plants and discarding them (not composting, since you don’t want to spread the disease). You can always save seeds from any healthy tomatoes for next year or start fresh in the spring with new plants. And to prevent future issues, try rotating your crops and cleaning up any plant debris that might harbor disease over the winter.

Hope that helps!