Phytophthora on tomatoes: how to fight. More than 20 ways

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Phytophthora on tomatoes is familiar to almost every gardener who grows tomatoes. Moreover, it is they who are most exposed to this disease. Phytophthora is a fungal disease that lives in the earth. It appears from dampness, mainly in the second half of summer, because at this time it gets cold at night, more dampness appears - and this is the most favorable environment for this disease. To combat this disease, gardeners use various folk methods and chemicals.

Phytophthora on tomatoes: information about the disease

Phytophthora is the main enemy for a tomato; almost every person who has ever grown tomatoes on their site has encountered this fungal disease. Since late blight or just late blight is a fungal disease, you need to know that there are about 50 species of these fungi, and they multiply by spores. The root of these fungi can live and develop freely in the remains of infected plants, so if this happens they must be immediately destroyed. They can also remain in garden tools and in the ground itself, where they easily endure winter, and in spring they spread remarkably, infecting only planted plants, because in spring, as soon as the snow has melted and the earth has not yet dried out, the most favorable environment for phytophthora begins , dampness and cold.

Phytophthora on tomatoes: types

There are several types of phytophthora: Phytophthora cactorum Schroet. This type of fungus often appears on beech, pine and rosehip trees.
Phytophthora cinnamomi Bond. This fungus most often affects beech and walnut trees.
Phytophthora infestans. This type of late blight very often affects potatoes, tomatoes and many other plants from the nightshade family.
Phytophthora fragariae. In Russia, this type of phytophthora appears extremely rarely, but nevertheless, if it appears, it affects raspberries, buckwheat and strawberries.

Signs and features of the disease, how to treat tomatoes from late blight

Phytophthora often appears on tomatoes in the second half of summer, otherwise it can be called "brown rot". This attack begins to hit the plants from below. First, the trunk of the plant is affected, then the leaves, and then the fruits. The disease is visible immediately, the bush begins to become covered with brown spots, which quickly spread throughout the entire plant. If the plant is infected with late blight, then its leaves, when wet, seem to be covered with a light film. In this case, the inflorescences of tomatoes quickly turn yellow and dry, then they become dark in color and simply fall off the bush. If the plant is ill with late blight, then its spots of different sizes, moreover, quickly spread throughout the bush, so in addition to this, in just a few days it affects absolutely the entire tomato plantation on the site. Therefore, it is necessary to start treating phytophthora immediately, as soon as it has hit even one plant. If this is not done, then you can say goodbye to all future harvest.
Late blight very often affects tomatoes and potatoes, but sometimes eggplants and peppers can become infected.
It is very easy to determine that tomatoes have become infected with this scourge: the plant is covered with dark, brown spots of various shapes. Inflorescences quickly turn yellow, darken and fall off.
The leaves are initially stained as well, then dry very quickly and fall off.
The fruits are exactly the same, at first they become stained, then turn black and very quickly begin to rot, which is immediately understandable by the characteristic, unpleasant smell.

Infected tomatoes: late blight in the ground. Causes of the disease

Phytophthora lives in the ground, and due to dampness, the fungus very quickly begins to develop and spread. And since it reproduces by spores, the lower part of the plant is simply instantly affected. At the very beginning, a white bloom appears below, and only then it turns into brown spots. The whole plant is quickly affected, and when the disease reaches the fruits, first spots appear on them, and gradually the fruit turns black completely, and the smell of putrefaction appears immediately after that. In just a few days, you will lose your entire crop and all plants.

There are several reasons for the appearance of phytophthora, the reasons just need to be known, because this disease is better and easier to prevent than to cure. Most often, this disease is spread by potatoes, so planting a tomato close to it can serve as their infection. If tomato bushes are planted close to each other, then there will be a lot of dampness in them, because there is simply no ventilation due to dense planting. If the daytime and nighttime temperature drops are very different, then too much dew falls, and this is additional moisture, respectively, an excellent environment for the development of fungi. Too frequent watering just as strongly affects the disease, and the ingress of moisture on the leaves is not the best way to affect the plants. When there is too much nitrogen in the soil, this also plays a role, so does the excess lime. And the lack of potassium, copper, iodine and manganese greatly affects not only the development of the tomato, but also the development of the fungus.

Processing tomatoes from late blight: chemical treatments

If you know the main causes of this disease, then you can prevent mistakes and prevent the disease.
Even more often than in open ground, late blight appears in greenhouses. But if you properly care for and observe the humidity regime, feed the tomatoes on time, then phytophthora can be avoided. To avoid getting phytophthora into the greenhouse from the street, just do not plant plants from the Solanaceae family next to it, this precaution will definitely not be superfluous. Water the tomatoes once, a maximum of two per week, and no more than five liters of water per bush, and remember to keep the water warm at all times. It is best to periodically carry out the disinfection procedure in the greenhouse and ventilate it regularly, because in the humidified environment of the greenhouse, late blight will develop even faster than on the street. In the open field, late blight can easily appear due to the large amount of dew. In this case, of course, it is better to carry out the prevention of the disease, because it is very difficult to treat it even when the first signs appear, and even more difficult in the future. There are two ways to combat late blight, and the gardener has only one question, which of the ways to choose. There is a chemical method and a folk one. So if you use the chemical method, then the plants need to be treated with such drugs as:
Hom - this drug is used only for prophylaxis, since it does not cure the disease itself. This drug can be used up to 5 times per season, no more than once every two weeks. It protects the plant well from possible disease infection. It does not accumulate in plants and fruits, and the fungus does not have time to get used to it and adapt to it. This drug must be used strictly according to the instructions, and cannot be stored in a prepared form.
Furacilin is an antibacterial drug, 1 tablet is diluted in 1 liter of water, and sprayed with it 3 times per season, before flowering, when the fruits are tied and when they have already begun to sing. For humans, this drug is absolutely harmless.
Fitosporin is a pesticide that contains bacteria. This drug must be used strictly according to the instructions, but it is absolutely harmless and you can eat the fruits even immediately after using it. They need to process plants every 10 days throughout the season. It is suitable for both treatment and prevention of disease.
Trichopolum - this drug has antifungal effect. This drug must also be used strictly according to the instructions, every 10 days throughout the season.

Ordan - instructions are also used with this drug, and the fruits cannot be eaten within a week after use.

Processing tomatoes from late blight: folk remedies

Folk remedies are also very effective and completely harmless to humans, and sometimes they bring vitamins and nutrients into plants, so gardeners most often try to use them in order not to give vegetables on their site chemistry.
Milk whey - it is diluted with water 1: 1, the solution is infused for several hours and the bushes are sprayed. This remedy is used for treatment every day until the bushes are completely healed, and for prevention, occasionally, at their discretion.
Soda - a spoonful of soda is diluted with half a bucket of warm water, a little liquid soap is added there and spraying is carried out once a week.
Salt - used for prevention. 250 g of salt is diluted in 10 liters of warm water, and the bushes are periodically sprayed with it.
Vinegar - half a glass of 9% vinegar is diluted in a bucket of water and well sprayed whole bushes.
Toothpaste - a tube of paste is diluted in a bucket of water, and for prevention, the bushes are sprayed after each rain.
Infusion of garlic - 1.5 cups of chopped garlic is infused in a bucket of warm water for 24 hours, then the bushes are sprayed every two weeks.
Boiling water - you need to use this method carefully so as not to damage the plants. Pour boiled water into a watering can, raise it as high as possible above the bushes and water the plants.
Yeast - a pack of 100 grams is diluted in a bucket of warm water, infused for several hours, then the plants are sprayed. This method is very effective when the disease is just beginning to appear.
Iodine - for 10 liters of water you need 20 drops of iodine, the main thing is not more. This solution should be well sprayed on the bushes, but it is often not recommended to use it.
Hydrogen peroxide - for 1 liter of water you need 2 tablespoons of peroxide, this solution is sprayed with bushes once a week.
Potassium permanganate - dilute 1 g per 10 liters of water and spray the plants.
All these means should be sprayed with seedlings in the evening in dry, calm weather, and after rains it is advisable to carry out the procedure, especially if it is carried out for prophylaxis.
Remember that it is always easier to prevent a disease than to get rid of it later.

Phytophthora on tomatoes: how to prevent disease

Never plant tomatoes after nightshade plants. The best predecessors are onions, cucumbers, beets, turnips, and carrots. You need to plant tomatoes in the sunniest place. Choose the right variety. Initially, when preparing the soil, it must be fertilized, and also additionally, when planting, add one more fertilizer, mineral or organic, to each hole. The distance between the tomatoes should be sufficient for airing. Watering must be carried out correctly, not often, with a certain amount of warm water strictly at the root. Pinch the tomatoes in time. Timely and correctly apply fertilizing and fertilizers to the soil. ventilate the greenhouse frequently.
All these rules for growing tomatoes are very simple, it will not be difficult to follow them, because this is better than subsequently fighting diseases or losing the harvest altogether.
And you also need to know that if the plant is still sick, then it does not need to be watered at all. Methods of treatment and prevention, especially chemical ones, must be used alternately, it is strictly forbidden to use several methods or drugs, this can have a detrimental effect on the plant, and instead of treatment, you will simply kill it.
And yet, it is worth reminding once again that prevention is better than any treatment. And not one way will never give 100% getting rid of such a scourge as late blight. And if the same method is often used for treatment or prevention, then the fungus will get used to them and will not succumb. So be sure to alternate and change the methods of prevention and treatment, then the harvest will always delight you with both quantity and quality.

Phytophthora on tomatoes