February 21, 2023, 14:48 – BLiTZ – News
Late blight is a common fungal disease of tomatoes, which is capable of destroying the crop in a short time and depriving the summer resident of the crop. The public news service figured out what methods of dealing with late blight are used by experienced gardeners.
To combat the disease, you can use chemical, biological or folk remedies, but for starters, it is important to identify the disease in the plant in a timely manner.
Signs of late blight
You can recognize this disease by the following symptoms:
dark spots are noticeable on the fruits, later the tomatoes rot and exude a fetid odor; dark spots form on the leaves, the foliage gradually withers and falls off; the stem is covered with brown spots; flowers darken, dry and fly around; when it rains, the leaves become shiny and oily.
If the summer resident observes such signs, then it’s time to start fighting late blight.
Chemicals
Chemicals cope well with this disease in the initial stages of the disease, however, these are toxic drugs that can harm the human body, and therefore they should be used before the flowering of tomatoes.
Copper sulphate has proven its effectiveness in the fight against phytophthora. It can be sold in the store as a Bordeaux liquid or in the form of solutions. Copper sulphate is suitable both for spraying plants and for disinfecting the soil before transplanting seedlings.
Biological
Biological products do not pose a danger to humans, as they do not accumulate in fruits and soil. They are created on the basis of active substances that produce fungi or bacteria. Biological agents can be used at any stage of tomato development.
pharmacy
The cheapest means of combating late blight can be purchased at a pharmacy. So, iodine has proven itself well. 20 drops of the product are added to a bucket of water and the affected plants are sprayed with the resulting solution.
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Also in the circles of summer residents, products based on boric acid, calcium chloride, hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate are popular, however, these drugs can be addictive with frequent use, so it is recommended to alternate pharmacy products with biological and chemical preparations.
Folk
Consider a few popular folk ways to deal with late blight on tomatoes:
Infusion based on horsetail
Pour horsetail greens (0.5 kg) with water (5 l) and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Boil the solution for 30 minutes, cool and strain. Dilute the finished infusion with water and treat the plants.
Dissolve 100 g of raw yeast in a bucket of warm water and spray the affected vegetable twice with an interval of 7 days.
Garlic extract
Chopped garlic (200 g) pour water (12 l) and leave to infuse for a day. Strain the finished product and process the culture with it 2-4 times a month.
Garlic will not only prevent the appearance of phytophthora, but also repel insect pests.
Prevention measures
In order not to treat tomatoes, the disease can be prevented. The following measures will help prevent the disease:
Use seeds 3 years ago when sowing, as during this time the phytophthora spores will die and the planting material will be healthy. When planting, do not allow seedlings to be too close to each other. Low-growing varieties should grow at a distance of 40-50 cm, leave a gap of 60-70 cm between rows. Fertilize the ridge regularly with compounds containing phosphorus and potassium, and exclude nitrogen-containing products. Water your tomatoes properly. Direct the jet strictly under the root, avoid getting drops on the leaves. Observe crop rotation and remove weeds from the ridge in a timely manner.
