In the warm springtime, when all things are thriving, your tomatoes are growing robust and healthy. However, the rainy weather can accelerate the spread of blight, a fungal disease that can harm your tomatoes. But there is a simple and natural method to protect your tomatoes from this disease.
According to a report from the UK’s “Daily Express,” tomatoes are easy to grow and maintain, with low maintenance costs. But it is essential to closely monitor their leaves. The warm and humid weather in April creates ideal conditions for the spread of blight.
Blight spreads through fungal spores in water, and once it enters your garden, it can be challenging to control, as the disease rapidly progresses. It starts from the bottom of the plant, causing spots on leaves, turning them brown and withered, hindering their ability to produce energy through photosynthesis.
If tomato plants are infected by blight, they will develop poorly and are unlikely to bear fruit. Even if they do bear fruit, the disease can spread, causing the fruit to rot on the stem and become inedible.
The Royal Horticultural Society of the UK points out that the initial symptoms of blight on tomato plants are rapid wilting and browning of leaves. As the pathogen spreads through leaf tissues, the edges of the lesions may appear light green, with tiny white fungal growth on the leaf surfaces.
Brown lesions may also appear on the petioles and stems of tomato plants, sometimes accompanied by white lesions under moist or extremely humid conditions. These lesions can lead to wilting and death of leaves, stems, and even the entire plant.
If the tomato plants have green fruit, they may develop water-soaked patches that turn brown, while mature fruit can rapidly rot.
Compared to outdoor-grown tomato plants, those grown in greenhouses are less prone to blight infection, as fungal spores are less likely to come into contact with them. However, if spores are blown into the greenhouse through doors or vents, it can still lead to blight.
Tomato plants need sufficient growing space as good air circulation helps their leaves dry faster after rainfall. Ensure each plant has enough space and receives adequate sunlight, as plants grown in shady areas are more prone to staying moist, leading to disease development.
It is crucial to water tomato plants as close to the soil at the roots as possible, as watering from above can moisten the leaves and create ideal conditions for spore germination.
Bob Wildfong, a horticulture expert from the Canadian non-profit organization “Seeds of Diversity,” suggests using mulch to cover the soil around tomato plants to prevent rainwater from splashing spores onto the plants.
Mulch acts as a protective barrier around tomato plants, preventing soil from becoming too moist and giving spores no chance to multiply. It also helps regulate soil temperature and humidity, reducing plant stress and lowering humidity around leaves.
Not only can mulch help protect tomato plants from blight, but the nutrients in the mulch can also promote healthier plant growth.
However, Wildfong advises against using mulch too early as it can lower soil temperature. It is recommended to let tomato seedlings grow for at least a month before covering the soil with straw, newspaper, or any dry material. By timing mulching correctly, your tomato plants will thrive and produce red fruit in the protected conditions during the summer.
An American farmer and social media influencer named Andre Baptiste previously shared that from his experience, for plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, or pumpkins when they begin to flower, it is best to prune the flowers while they are still small to encourage them to bear more and better fruits in the future.
He explains that at this stage, the plants are not yet ready to fruit, so instead of letting them flower and fruit prematurely, it is better to let them focus on growth before allowing them to fruit later. This is a method of “sacrificing early fruits for long-term success.”
Baptiste states, “You will get a bigger yield and better production. In the long run, the plants will also grow healthier.”
As for when tomato plants are considered large enough to produce more fruit, he recommends that the height reach 16 to 18 inches before fruiting.