Tomato Late Blight: Fungus amongst UsA common fungal disease found in tomatoes called tomato late blight is spread throughout certain areas of the United States. The same fungus, which causes late blight in potatoes, is responsible for the tomato late blight. Gardeners who suspect a fungi attack may spot a downy, white fungus growth underneath the leaves. It might appear as if the tomato plant was damaged by frost although the weather is seasonably warm. Signs of tomato plants blight include: * Brown spots on stems * Dark, irregular water-soaked patches on mature leaves * Severe loss of leaves * Spotted fruit hardens and rots Tomato Early Blight Due to wet weather in late spring, early blight or other leaf diseases may affect tomatoes planted early. If no controls are used, damage can be devastating as the plant slowly dies from the base upward. Tomato early blight is a common disease caused by fungus that appears early in the season. The fungi cause a stem canker or rot that damages young seedlings and transplants. It can cause spotted leaves, defoliation, and crop reduction. The fungus may attack the fruit causing dark decay as it ripens. Crowded plants in the garden bed rapidly spread the disease. Avoid overcrowding to remedy tomato late blight as well. * Late blight favors an abundance of moisture that typically occurs during autumn. With cool nights and slightly warm days, tomato late blight strikes late in the summer season. Blight Resistant Tomato Blight resistant tomato varieties include flavorful and sweet ‘Juliet,’ and ‘Santa’, which grow in oval grape-like clusters. “Legend” is a 4-5 inch cultivar, which is tomato late blight resistant. Late Blight treatment Control of tomato blight prevention begins by destroying infected plants and potato tubers. Do not leave infected tubers in the compost pile. Quickly bag, and burn or throw them out in the trash to prevent spores from spreading to other tomato or potato plants. Reduce leaf dampness by staking tomatoes and using drip irrigation, if possible. Avoid uses too much nitrogen-rich fertilizer. Plant tomato varieties that are less susceptible to late blight. An infected plant should be dug up before it can produce an abundance of spores, which will affect other plants. Spores germinate readily between temperatures of 40 and 70 degrees. If the temperature reaches 75 or 80 degrees, and the weather stays dry, the spores will die. tomato blight prevention Allow a four-foot space between large caged varieties for ample air circulation. Mulch to keep the rain from splashing fungi from soil to foliage. Cover the ground around each plant with several inches of compost. A couple of shovelfuls of compost into each hole when planting help the plant be more resistance to late blight tomato. For organic gardeners who decide to use fungicides, one of the least toxic is a copper sulphate fungicide. Soap-Shield uses less copper and is safe for the environment. Keep in mind; fungicides are preventative measures and only work if the plants are not already infected. Reapply once a week and after each rainfall to prevent tomato blight. Irrigate tomatoes in late summer to encourage healthy growth. Tomatoes should be rotated every season. Gardeners who plant the same crop in the identical bed for two or more years in a row could expect tomato late blight to invade. Maintain crop rotation so late blight tomatoes will not harm your produce. Plant disease-resistant tomato varieties in full sun and you will be eating vine-ripe tomatoes all season long.
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