11/21/2023 0 Comments Early blight on tomato plantsSpots enlarge, turn dark brown to purple-black, and the leaves shrivel and die. Leaves: The first sign is pale green to brown spots on the leaves, often with a purplish cast.This is one of the most devastating and rapidly developing tomato diseases, but it occurs sporadically. Weather: Humid or rainy cool weather (less than 70 degrees F) or warm weather (75 to 85 degrees).In humid weather, fruit can be covered with a black, velvety coat of spores. Fruit: Infection usually occurs at the stem end of the fruit, causing dark brown, leathery spots with concentric rings.With many lesions, leaves turn yellow and fall off. Leaves: Dark spots appear first on older leaves and develop a bull’s-eye appearance as they enlarge.Diseased plant material must be destroyed. The fungus that causes this disease overwinters in plant debris and seeds. Fruit: The fruit is not damaged by the disease, but it may become sunburned from lack of leaves. The disease spreads from lower leaves upward on the plant. Leaves turn yellow, then brown, and dry before falling off. Leaves: Septoria begins on the lowest leaves on the plant.This disease can kill the plant but does not damage the fruit. This is one of the most common diseases of tomatoes in Michigan. It could be rain, high humidity, fog or leaves getting wet from overhead irrigation - especially if watering occurs late in the day or in the evening when plants could stay wet overnight - that gives fungi a foothold. All fungal diseases depend on some form of moisture on the plants to enable the diseases to develop. The timing of protective fungicides for these diseases is also the same.ĭepending on the weather and the year, one disease may be more severe than another. The best news is that all these diseases can be controlled by the same fungicides. Fungal diseases cannot be cured once they have begun, but they can be successfully prevented. They are all caused by different kinds of fungi. But there is more involved than just planting and harvesting.įour common diseases can ruin the tomato fruit or kill the plants or do both. Tomatoes are the most delicious when they are grown and picked at peak ripeness from your garden. But you will want to continue to monitor the plants as blight can live on the stem and travel that way as well.Tomatoes are one of the top three favorite vegetables grown in home gardens. Try these tips for storing green tomatoes for fresh eating.Īs far as peppers and eggplant go, you can harvest the tiny crops, but they'll be harder to consume as they may just be too immature.īut remember, if only a few leaves on your plant are affected, you don't need to pull up the entire plant. You can also harvest any green tomatoes if the plant needs to be pulled up and see if they'll ripen on your countertop. Yes! You can eat the new potatoes (baby potatoes) that are on the diseased plants. You can read more about watering methods here (or listen to the podcast).Ĭan I eat the vegetables that have been affected with early blight? Trying to keep your plants as dry as possible is ideal, which is why I like to use soaker hoses. Though watering with a sprinkler from above may seem easy and the most cost-effective route, it can also keep your plants damp which allows these fungi to grow and spread. Water from BelowĪs mentioned before, it's important to know the best method for watering your garden. Avoid Touching Healthy PlantsĪs you're going along in your garden removing any affected leaves, try not to touch your healthy plants with your hands because the spores will be on your fingers and can be spread unintentionally. I bring a plastic grocery bag into the garden so I can bag the leaves up and throw them in the trash or even burn them as soon as possible. Like I said before, the spores can travel by wind, so we don't want to potentially cause another outbreak in the future. Don't simply drop them far away from your garden or in your compost pile. You'll want to remove the leaves and dispose of them either in the trash or by burning them. Don't drop the diseased leaves on the ground of your garden.īecause early blight is caused by spores, the spores are still alive and active on those plant leaves. It's important to properly discard the diseased leaves and plants so the fungus can't continue to spread.
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