These products may help prevent the infection from colonizing the roots of future crops. There are also several biological fungicidal drenches that can be applied to soil (look for one based on the bacteria Streptomyces griseoviridis called MycoStop® or a granular one based on the fungus Trichoderma virens called Soil Guard®). Soil solarization can help kill fungal spores in the top few inches of soil, and crop rotation is key. Instead, focus on preventing it for future years. Manage: Once this tomato plant disease strikes, there’s little you can do to control it. Also disinfect tomato cages and stakes with a 10% bleach solution at the end of every season. The best method of prevention is to plant resistant varieties if you’ve had trouble with Fusarium wilt in the past. They’re spread by equipment, water, plant debris, and even people and animals. Prevent: The spores of this tomato plant disease live in the soil and can survive for many years. Sometimes there are also dark cankers at the base of the plant To confirm an infection, cut the main stem of the plant open and look for dark streaks running lengthwise through the stem. Sometimes an entire branch may wilt, often starting with the lower portion of the plant and then progressing upwards until the whole plant collapses. Identify: The pathogen that causes Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) is generally more common in warm, southern regions where this tomato plant disease can wipe out entire fields. Bicarbonate fungicides are also effective (including BiCarb, GreenCure, etc).Įarly blight often begins as irregularly shaped, bulls-eyed brown spots on the lower leaves of a tomato plant. Manage: Once the fungus strikes, organic fungicides based on Bacillus subtilis or copper can help prevent or stop the spread of this tomato plant disease. This mulch forms a protective barrier, preventing the soil-dwelling spores from splashing up out of the soil and onto the plant. To prevent this tomato fungal disease, mulch plants with a layer of newspaper topped with untreated grass clippings, straw, leaf mold, or finished compost immediately after they are planted. Fortunately, most tomatoes will continue to produce even with moderately severe cases of early blight. Prevent: The early blight pathogen (Alternaria solani) lives in the soil and once a garden has shown signs of the early blight fungus, it’s there to stay because the organism easily overwinters in the soil, even in very cold climates. In most cases, the tomatoes will continue to ripen, even as the disease symptoms progress up the plant. Eventually, infected leaves will fall off the plant. Often the tissue around the spots will turn yellow. Identify: This common tomato plant disease appears as bulls-eye-shaped brown spots on the lower leaves of a plant. Here’s the low-down on six of the most common tomato plant diseases with information on identifying, preventing, and managing each of them. Disinfect the empty pots if you grow your tomatoes in containers, using a 10% bleach solution at the end of the growing season and replace the spent potting soil with a new mix every spring.įollow every prevention tip you can to keep your tomato plants from being ravaged by diseases like this one.ĭespite your best efforts at preventing tomato diseases, they may still get a foothold in your garden from time to time.The splash from overhead sprinklers can spread disease and wet foliage promotes fungal issues. Hand irrigation or soaker hoses allow you to target the water on the root zone. Try to keep the foliage dry whenever possible.Two or three inches of compost, leaf mold, straw, or hay serves to keep soil-dwelling fungal spores from splashing up onto the lower leaves when it rains. Mulch your tomato plants well at the start of the season.Provide adequate air circulation around each plant.Do not put diseased foliage in the compost pile. Remove all diseased tomato plant debris at the end of the growing season and burn it or toss it in the trash.Choose disease-resistant varieties when selecting which types of tomatoes to grow.Don’t work in the garden when tomato foliage is wet or you may inadvertently spread pathogens from plant to plant.Pinch off leaves with any signs of disease immediate and dispose of them in the trash to keep a possible infection from spreading.Rotate your crops. Since many tomato pathogens live in the soil, plant tomatoes in a different spot in the garden each year.Here are nine tips to get you started on the road to disease-free, productive tomato plants: Other than making sure your tomato plants are happy and healthy, there are a few other things you can do to help prevent tomato plant diseases. Preventing tomato diseases is a must, if you want to have productive plants.
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