![]() ![]() More exactly, the tomato fruit will start to turn black at the lower main stem (the green tail that holds the tomato fruit attached to the plant).Įventually, the sick tomato fruit will fall on the ground. Later on, there will appear lesions on the fruit. In the initial stages, early blight will cause dark brown (or black) spots on the leaves of the plants (starting from the leaves at the bottom of the plants).Īfter some time, the affected leaves will turn yellow and either dry up or fall off the plant. When a tomato is affected by late blight, the entire plant along with its fruits can be destroyed in only a few days from the first symptoms. The evolution of late blight is much quicker than the one of early blight. It’s pretty easy to identify if your plants have been affected by early or late blight. The late blight is caused by Phytophthora infestans, a microorganism which prefer moist and cool environments. Utilize fungicide at the first signs of diseaseĮarly Blight is a plant disease caused by a fungal pathogen called Alternaria Solani.Īlternaria Solani is known to affect in particular the tomato and potato plants.īetween the two, late blight is the most devastating and can rapidly destroy your entire tomato or potato plantation.This means that the owner of this website might be compensated for any qualifying purchases made via these links. At first, I thought I’m facing with the blossom end rot, but the tomato fruit didn’t have the rot at the bottom, but to the stem that kept the tomato fruit attached to the plant.įinally, I saw a photo that matched exactly the symptoms my tomatoes had and I found out that my veggies are facing the tomato a disease called “early blight”.Īfter the research on what’s causing this disease, which are the initial symptoms and the treatment, I decided to write this tiny guide.ĭisclosure: This page contains affiliate links. I first looked for images that resembled the characteristics of the affected tomatoes. I didn’t know the name of the disease so I started to seek for an answer using Google. I never had this problem with my tomatoes before, so it was an issue I didn’t know how to handle.Īt the time I was able to identify the source of the problem, it was too late to treat the plants with an antifungal. Make sure that no potatoes from the previous season have been left behind before you plant the new crop.įind more essential potato facts and growers' help at our potato hub page.This year, my tomatoes were struck by early blight. If planting potatoes in the ground, rotate your crop to avoid a build up of disease spores in the soil. Water plants at the base, rather than from above, to limit the amount of water on the leaves and reduce the wet conditions that fungal infections such as blight need to thrive. ![]() Give your plants plenty of space to allow for good ventilation - air circulation is vital for healthy plants and limits the humidity that fungi require to flourish. Thoroughly clean your greenhouse each year to remove any overwintering spores before bringing new tomato plants in. It’s easier to prevent leaf blight, than to cure it. If fungicides were used to suppress any infections prior to your purchase, this time should allow the underlying problems to emerge. Keep commercially bought tomato plants in isolation for a few weeks before planting out. Rotating your plot before planting potatoes can minimise the chances of blightĬhoose plants and tubers from well-respected nurseries with no history of fungal infections. Monitor the Fight Against Blight website, which provides early warning of outbreaks in your area. You’ll need to burn all the affected material, or bury it more than 45cm under the ground, as a compost heap will just keep the infection in your garden. Wait for a few weeks to allow the skin on the potatoes to harden before digging them up – the tubers should be checked regularly for decay, and those that appear fine should be used quickly. Once more than 25% of your potato plants are infected with blight, you’ll need to cut off the foliage to soil level and destroy it. As soon as the disease reaches the fruits, the plants will need to be removed. There is no treatment for tomato plants once they succumb to blight. Should you notice signs of blight in your tomato or potato plants, pick off any infected leaves immediately to slow down the progress of the disease. Picking off infected leaves can slow the progress of late blight ![]()
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