Please identify tomato foliar disease

Question: Hello: Can you please identify the foliar disease(s) that these tomatoes have?...(Pictures attached)...They are being grown by various gardeners at the Parklawn Community Garden in Montgomery County, MD. And can you please give suggestions for this year, as well as ways to prevent or control the disease(s) next year? Then I can pass along your ideas to everyone at the garden through the community chat room. Thank you very much, and have a wonderful day!

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 26, 2024, 2:40 PM EDT
response: Thank you for reaching out.  We would need better photos of the leaves when the symptoms first appear and are not already brown, shriveled and dead.  This time in the season many tomatoes are struggling from the heat and drought of the summer and have succumbed to Septoria, late blight, mite damage, etc. Mites were a struggle for many tomato growers this season with our high temperatures.  There isn't anything you can do not for the plants so we would just recommend getting the fruit you can from it and discarding the plants at the end of the season.  If you have a photo with a new symptom on the leaves you can try to send in some of those and we can try to pinpoint a cause to the dying leaves but it may be too late in the season to know what it is for sure.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 26, 2024, 3:06 PM EDT
response: Thank you very much Emily! I do have examples of diseased leaves that are not yet shriveled (attached). Can you identify the disease now? I know that the plants cannot be saved this year. What can be done to prevent this from happening next year? Thanks for your help!   Sincerely,   Jon

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 27, 2024, 8:08 AM EDT
response: Hi Emily....I took some more pictures, close-ups of diseases/pest ridden leaves from the tomato plants at 7:00 am today, August 27th, 2024 (attached). Can you identify the problem(s) now? If so, can you please give suggestions for mitigation this year and prevention for next year? Thanks so much for your help, and have a nice day!   Sincerely,   Jon

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 27, 2024, 3:03 PM EDT
response: Hi Jon,  We think this is end of the season septoria and early blight symptoms. They are difficult to control but make sure to clean up all the plant debris and spent fruit at the end of the season and discard.  You can try watering at the base of the plants if that's an option in your community garden. Also remove the bottom 3-4 branches to let air flow through the plant. Next year thing them out and make sure they have good air flow between the plants and also their own foliage.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 27, 2024, 3:21 PM EDT
response: Thanks Emily! I will pass this along to other gardeners.   Sincerely,   Jon

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied August 28, 2024, 9:41 AM EDT
response: you're welcome!