How do you prevent blight from taking over your tomatoes???

Answer 1

Early blight shows up as a leaf blight on the lower part of plants. The disease moves upward, and by early to mid-summer, early blight has caused a "firing-up" of foliage over most of the tomato plants in the garden.

As the disease progresses, leaves turn yellow, wither, and drop from plants. Tomato plant severely infected by early blight produce low yields of undersized fruit. Generally, fruit are also show signs of sun-scald since leaves aren't present to protect fruit from direct sunlight.

Early blight tends to get off to an early start in the spring when wet weather is experienced soon after transplants are set. These type conditions are ideal for infection of young tomato plants by the early blight fungus. But probably the most important reason this disease is so common has to do with the tremendous popularity of tomatoes.

What does popularity of the crop have to do with early blight? It's just difficult for most home gardeners to find a spot where tomatoes haven't been grown for awhile. As experienced gardeners know, growing a crop in the same area for several years often leads to increased disease problems. Rotate crops on a three year cycle. Do not plant tomatoes and peppers in the same spot year after year.

Early blight control is based on crop rotation, removal and destruction of crop debris from previous crops, staking, mulching, and timely application of fungicides.

Staking and mulching are important in an early blight control program, since staking keeps foliage and fruit from contacting the soil surface, and mulching cuts down on "soil splash" onto lower parts of the plant. Since soil particles often contain the early blight fungus, this is a good way of keeping the fungus from invading plants. Plastic, or organic mulches (pine straw or even newspapers) are equally effective.

Application of fungicides is also generally needed for early blight control once plants are infected.

Answer 2

If you're talking about blossom end rot (the bottom of the tomato turns brown and rots) it's caused by a lack of water while the tomatoes mature. I've lost quite a few tomatoes this summer due to drought conditions. The way to prevent this is to make sure the tomatoes get plenty of water-I have been supplementing them with the hose at least once a week, for as long as a couple of hours with a soaker hose.

Answer 3

Blossom end rot is usually a combination of irratc watering and a calcium deficiency. You cannot save the tomatoes that are already infected but, you can make sure the rest are watered with the appropriate amount of water and buy some calcium at the garden store to apply at the base of the plants and dig it in before watering.

Answer 4

Alternaria leaf spot or early blight is a common problem on tomatoes and causes defoliation, usually during periods of high rainfall. Improve water drainage with plenty of compost & if drainage is a big problem, plant on a raised bed. Plants can be spaced enough so air can move & dry the foliage to prevent diseases.
Avoiding overhead watering & mulching keeps diseases off the tomatoes because it prevents the soil from splashing up on the leaves by rain.

Septoria leaf spot and early blight occur less commonly in dry climate. These diseases result when soil is splashed up on the leaves by rain or sprinklers. They can be prevented by mulching and avoidance of overhead watering.

1) Use only clean seed saved from disease-free plants. 2) Remove and destroy crop residue at the end of the season, then plow or roto-till the soil to promote breakdown of soil residue by soil microorganisms and to physically remove the spore source from the soil surface 3) Practice crop rotation to non-susceptible crops (3 years). Be sure to control volunteers and susceptible weeds. 4) Promote good air circulation by proper spacing of plants. 5) Orient rows in the direction of prevailing winds, avoid shaded areas, and avoid wind barriers. 6) Irrigate early in the day to promote rapid drying of foliage. 7) Healthy plants with adequate nutrition are less susceptible to the disease. 8) Minimize plant injury and the spread of spores by controlling insect feeding. 9) Hand picking diseased foliage may slow the rate of disease spread but should not be relied on for control. Do not work in a wet garden. 10) Use resistant or tolerant varieties. 11) You can apply a fungicide after the blight occurs, or use the preventative fungicide chlorothalonil (Bravo) on a seven to ten day schedule to give effective control.
http://pmo.umext.maine.edu/factsht/earlytom.htm

Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 5

previously moving to cali, I lived in Pa, and it incredibly is extrememly humid, and molds and blights are a controversy some years. I heard from a fellow gardener that products jointly with Dragoon airborne dirt and dirt, or different products containing Copper Sulfate, Will combat off early and previous due blights. i attempted the product, and my flora survived, on a similar time as maximum of others in my section died withing days. when you consider that copper sulfate is a mineral variety, its organic Vs commercial fungicides. Even in dry climates, some fungi can stay to tell the story. supply it a shot :) and sturdy success!!

Answer 6

blossom end rot is caused by a lack of calcium. there is a web site if you type in "tomato deffiencies" it has color pics of what some of these look like.