The brown spots can be confused with those caused by early blight, but differ in that they are light brown and not dark brown to blackish. They also lack the concentric zones, which produce a target effect typical of early blight. The leaves wilt, gradually wither, die and drop off. The disease progresses slowly up the stem, and the plant is stunted. Only the tip leaves appear green and alive and the fruit is small.
Defoliation exposes the fruit to sunscald and yellow shoulder.
The woody tissue is discolored brown and similar to Fusarium, but is usually darker. Rotation-planting in another location for four to six years is suggested. This often gets away from the trouble, but not always, because the fungus attacks many plants and may be present in the new location. The disease is erratic. Sometimes no trouble develops the next year, and sometimes it appears where there was none the previous year.