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Health & Fitness

Problems with Tomatoes? Three Common Diseases

Have you noticed some problems with your tomatoes this year? We had a cool and very wet spring. And it was sure nice to have snow in April. Well, maybe not so much. Our cool July gave way to a very hot, humid, and dry August. 

Every year is different. And each year presents different challenges to gardeners. However, there are some diseases affecting tomatoes that you can count on seeing year after year, especially if you grow the heirloom varieties. 

Early Blight: This disease affects the foliage, stem, and fruit. The entire plant will be affected. Call this a disease that keeps on giving. You will notice dark spots with concentric rings on the leaves. The older leaves are usually affected first. Remove all infected leaves and toss them in the trash. Do not compost them. Foliar sprays are not effective once the plant has the disease. So forget the spray bottle.

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Septoria Leaf Spot (SLS): This disease affects the leaves, not the fruit, which differentiates it from Early Blight. Patches on the leaves develop tiny, dark specks inside the patches. Usually the leaves at the bottom of the plant are affected first, and then travel up to the top of the plant. Remove the leaves as they become infected. Do not compost them. You can prevent or limit damage from this disease by removing the bottom layers of the plant once it is well established, e.g., about 18” to 24” high. Rain, or overhead watering, releases the soil-borne disease and splashes the lowest leaves. Place mulch around the base of the plant. You can use straw, newspaper, or weed fabric. The mulch will absorb all or most of the splash-effect.

Blossom End Rot (BER): This is a nasty looking disease that only affects the fruit, not the foliage or the stems. A dark/black area forms at the top of the fruit, which is the part farthest away from the blossom/stem. Remove the affected fruit. Don’t compost them. There are several causes for BER. The most common is a lack of calcium in the soil. You can remedy this by adding gypsum or oyster shells (or egg shells) when you set the plants in your garden or container. Other causes can include poor drainage in the soil and/or lack of proper watering.

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Tomatoes are affected by a wide range of diseases. Don’t reach for the fungicide spray can. You can control most diseases by proper gardening practices. Mulching is very effective and environmentally friendly. Simply removing the affected leaves and stems or fruit is the best organic and healthy way.

Remember: what you spray on the plant can eventually enter your body when you eat the fruit or vegetable. Don’t spray, okay?

 

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