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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Black spots on tomatoes are a symptom, not a diagnosis. Start with where the mark appears, whether it is sunken or raised, the fruit’s maturity, and any leaf damage. A dark patch on the blossom end (the bottom opposite the stem) most often indicates blossom-end rot; tiny raised specks, bull’s-eye lesions, cloudy pale patches, and depressed spots on ripe fruit point to different problems.
Use the spot’s clues before treating the plant
Inspect one affected fruit and the plant around it. Record these four clues:
- Location: blossom end, stem end, or scattered across the skin.
- Texture: sunken and leathery, soft and decaying, tiny and raised, or superficial and smooth.
- Fruit stage: green and enlarging, beginning to color, fully ripe, or overripe.
- Other symptoms: lower-leaf spots, yellow halos, or a recent pattern of drought, heavy rain, humidity, or overhead watering.
The same plant can have more than one issue, so diagnose each pattern rather than treating every dark mark as a disease.
Five likely causes of black spots
1. Blossom-end rot
A brown-to-black patch centered on the blossom end is most consistent with blossom-end rot. The spot can enlarge until the bottom is dark, shrunken, and leathery. It results from inadequate calcium delivery to developing fruit, commonly because fluctuating soil moisture prevents roots from taking up calcium; excessive nitrogen can add stress.
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- Control fungus and disease in your garden with Captain Jack’s ready-to-use Liquid Copper Fungicide!
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This is a physiological disorder, not an infectious disease. Dead tissue will not heal, so remove fruit with established rot. Protect later fruit by keeping moisture even: Iowa State University Extension (2024) advises about 1 to 1½ inches of water per week during dry weather. Water deeply, mulch the root zone, and avoid repeated heavy applications of high-nitrogen fertilizer. University of Maryland Extension (2024) recommends maintaining soil pH at 6.3–6.8; test before adding lime or other amendments. Garden gypsum cannot correct irregular watering or an unverified soil problem.
2. Anthracnose
Anthracnose usually appears as a depressed, circular lesion on ripe or overripe fruit. UC Statewide IPM describes lesions of about 0.5 inch (1.2 cm) that become tan and develop small black specks. In wet weather, salmon-colored spore masses may form in the center.
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- Copper Fungicide effective in the control and prevention of a wide range of plant diseases. Listed common garden diseases include blight, black spot, powdery mildew peach leaf curl and more.
- Apply copper fungicide to fruits, vegetables, ornamentals and other plants in your lawn and garden for complete and long-lasting disease control.
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Pick tomatoes as they begin to color instead of leaving them fully ripe on the vine. Rotate tomatoes and other nightshades with non-solanaceous crops, remove badly affected fruit, and keep water off the foliage and fruit as they ripen. Fungicides are generally unnecessary when sanitation, rotation, and timely harvest are practical.
3. Early-blight fruit lesions
Early blight fruit damage is typically a dark, leathery, sometimes shrunken lesion near the stem end, often with concentric “bull’s-eye” rings. Look for matching brown lesions on older, lower leaves; that combination separates early blight from a single blossom-end patch.
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Remove diseased leaves and fruit, keep foliage as dry as possible, and avoid moving wet soil or plant debris onto healthy plants. Stake or cage plants to improve air movement, and rotate tomato relatives in the next planting. The diagnostic pattern matters more than the color alone: a ringed stem-end lesion plus lower-leaf spots supports early blight, while a bottom-centered leathery patch supports blossom-end rot.
4. Bacterial speck or bacterial spot
These bacterial diseases produce many tiny, slightly raised black spots on green or ripe fruit, generally no larger than about 3 mm according to UC Statewide IPM (2013). Nearby yellowing can occur. Cool, wet conditions, splashing rain, and sprinkler irrigation favor spread.
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Do not handle plants while they are wet, remove heavily affected material, and use drip or ground-level watering. Copper products can provide partial, early protectant control when the product label lists tomatoes and the suspected symptom pattern; copper does not cure established lesions and will not correct blossom-end rot. Follow the label for rate, spray interval, harvest interval, and permitted crop use. Avoid routine copper applications when the diagnosis is uncertain.
5. Stink-bug feeding damage
Stink bugs leave superficial white or yellow cloudy spots where their mouthparts pierce the fruit. The marks are usually smooth rather than sunken or rotting and may be scattered on otherwise healthy tomatoes. Maryland Extension notes that the affected area can be cut away without reducing the rest of the fruit’s eating quality.
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Inspect the undersides of leaves, stems, and nearby weeds for stink bugs or their eggs. Hand-pick insects when practical, remove weed hosts, and use only a pesticide specifically labeled for tomatoes and the pest if additional control is necessary. A cloudy surface blemish without tissue collapse does not call for fungicide or calcium fertilizer.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Quick comparison
| Issue | Typical location | Texture and appearance | Fruit stage | Clues nearby |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blossom-end rot | Blossom end (bottom) | Sunken, dark, shrunken, leathery patch | Developing or enlarging fruit | Irregular watering, drought-to-rain swings, excess nitrogen |
| Anthracnose | Usually scattered surface areas | Depressed circular lesion; tan center with black specks; possible salmon spores | Ripe or overripe fruit | Warm, moist weather; fruit left to ripen fully on the vine |
| Early blight | Often stem end | Dark, leathery, sometimes shrunken bull’s-eye lesion | Usually ripening fruit | Concentric lesions on lower leaves |
| Bacterial speck/spot | Scattered over fruit | Tiny, slightly raised black spots, up to about 3 mm | Green or ripe fruit | Yellowing, cool wet weather, rain or sprinkler splash |
| Stink-bug injury | Random superficial areas | White or yellow cloudy, shallow discoloration | Green or ripening fruit | Stink bugs or feeding activity on the plant |
What to do today
- Remove fruit that is clearly rotting. Blossom-end-rot tissue will not recover, and diseased fruit can harbor spores or bacteria.
- Stabilize soil moisture. Water deeply and consistently, aiming for Iowa State’s 1–1½ inches weekly guidance in dry weather, and add mulch to reduce rapid drying.
- Check soil before amending. Test pH; use the University of Maryland target of 6.3–6.8 for blossom-end-rot prevention rather than adding lime or gypsum blindly.
- Keep leaves and fruit dry. Use ground-level irrigation, especially when bacterial speck/spot or anthracnose is suspected.
- Harvest at the right stage. Pick anthracnose-prone tomatoes as they begin to color and do not leave damaged fruit overripe on the vine.
- Match any spray to the diagnosis and label. Copper is a partial, preventive measure for some bacterial symptoms; it cannot repair physiological rot and should not be used off-label.
- Plan rotation and cleanup. Remove fallen debris and rotate tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes with unrelated crops where space allows.
When a diagnosis remains uncertain
Photograph the whole plant and a close-up of the spot, noting the fruit’s color, recent watering, and weather. A single bottom-centered leathery patch usually calls for moisture management, while numerous tiny raised spots, ringed stem-end lesions, or depressed lesions on ripe fruit require sanitation and, only when appropriate, a labeled protectant. If spots spread rapidly across plants or stems, contact your local extension service for a plant-specific diagnosis.
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