Blight is a disease seen commonly among tomato plants, but with proper tomato blight treatment, it is possible to overcome the disease and still end up with fruitful and healthy plants.
There are actually three type of blight that can affect a tomato plant, these are known as early blight, late blight and septoria leaf spot. Early blight will usually appear first on the lower leaves of the plant and typically after it has already produced several pieces of fruit. In extreme cases, in can spread to the fruit itself, which will leave large black spots on the tomatoes. Late blight is most often seen during growing seasons when it is consistently wet and damp, temperatures are dropping at night and then raising back to hot levels during the daytime.
Tomato Blight Treatment
Tomato blight treatment, for both early and late blight, consists of removing any leaves looking like they might have been affected by the fungus. It is best to wash your hands after working with every plant, so that you do not accidentally spread the disease to otherwise healthy plants. Do not leave any affected leaves near your garden area, to further prevent spread of the disease. Dispose of them as far away from the area as possible. It is also a good idea to consider a new planting are for the next season, as blight can remain in the soil of an area for a while.
Another step in tomato blight treatment consists of buying and spraying a good fungicide on the soil of your garden and the plants themselves. This will help to eliminate the current problem by killing off many of the fungal spores they may be present. Continue to check for new leaves showing signs of the disease, even after you have sprayed the fungicide. Remove any leaves you believe to be affected, as soon as possible.
For suspected septoria leaf spot, take the same measures in identifying and removing leaves that appear to be affected by the disease. Once all affected leaves have been removed, spray the plants with a copper spray. Copper should be applied once a week and after every rainfall.
For all types of blight, the most reliable form of tomato blight treatment is prevention. Preventative measures, such as crop rotation each year and planting in a raised container are excellent in safeguarding against the onset of the disease. When watering, concentrate the water on the soil instead of the plants themselves. Keeping the plants leaves wet can further increase chances the disease will appear. Also avoid working with the plants when the ground is wet to help prevent the disease from occurring.
Tomato Blight Treatment – The Conclusion
Once the growing season has ended, remove and destroy all parts of the plants that remain. This helps to rid the area of blight fungus, instead of giving it time to spread and become worse. Crop rotation should consist of only using a specific area once every three to four years. This will result in any fungus in the soil dying before new plants are placed into the ground. This is a crucial step in prevention and a very effective method of tomato blight treatment and reduction.
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