Content
One of the most dangerous diseases for tomatoes is an late blight... The defeat covers the aerial parts of plants: stems, foliage, fruits. If you do not take timely measures, then you can lose the bushes themselves and the entire crop. Funds from phytophthora on tomatoes include special preparations and folk recipes.
Signs of late blight
Phytophthora reproduces by spores that persist in the soil, on garden tools, plant debris, and greenhouse surfaces.
Initially, late blight appears as a plaque on the lower parts of tomatoes, which is not easy to notice. However, the disease spreads rapidly and causes significant damage to the crop in three days.
Phytophthora is determined by the following criteria:
- spots appear on the back of the leaves;
- over time, the foliage becomes brown and falls off;
- tomato shoots darken, after which they turn black;
- black areas appear on the fruit.
The reasons for the appearance of late blight
For the development of late blight on tomatoes, a certain environment is required. The spread of the disease begins when the following conditions are present:
- high lime content;
- dense plantings;
- high humidity in the greenhouse;
- temperature fluctuations causing dew loss;
- weakened immunity of tomatoes.
The best ways to fight
Various methods are used to get rid of late blight. When the first signs of the disease appear, the affected areas are removed and burned. Tomatoes are processed with solutions that are prepared on the basis of copper sulfate or iodine. You can also purchase special remedies for late blight on tomatoes, which are available in the form of powder, tablets or liquid.
Special drugs
To get rid of late blight, special means have been developed that allow you to effectively deal with its pathogens.
The best drugs for phytophthora are:
- Fitosporin-M - has a systemic effect and can be used at any stage of tomato development. Processing is recommended to be carried out on a cloudy day or at night.
- Anthracol is a non-toxic contact drug. Provides protection for up to 14 days.
- Quadris is a product for spraying tomatoes growing in open or protected ground. For processing, 2 procedures are enough with an interval of 10 days.
- Baikal EM - contains more than a billion microorganisms that help fight late blight. Suitable for watering and spraying.
- Trichodermin is an organic fungicide that protects the root system of tomatoes from fungal infections. An additional action is the improvement of the soil.
Bordeaux liquid
For the treatment of tomatoes affected by late blight, it is used bordeaux liquid... It is obtained from quicklime and copper sulfate. Plants are processed during the growing season.
For spraying, a 1% solution is used. First, copper sulfate is placed in 1 liter of water in an amount of 0.1 kg. For this, warm water is taken, in which the crystals of the substance dissolve much faster. Then the volume of the solution is increased to 5 liters by adding water.
In another container, 0.1 kg of lime is poured into 5 liters of water. The vitriol solution is carefully added to the milk of lime.
When spraying, the liquid should cover the tomato leaves. The product is sprayed through a spray bottle.
Copper sulfate
A solution of copper sulfate is an effective remedy for the prevention of late blight. Before planting tomatoes processing exposed soil. For this, a 3% solution of copper sulfate is prepared.
After the final transplantation of plants, the soil is treated with copper sulfate of 1% concentration. Tomato leaves are sprayed with a similar solution.
When using copper sulfate, the indicated concentrations must be observed. Otherwise, the tomatoes will burn their leaves or root system.
Spraying with iodine
Iodine is a universal remedy for combating many fungal diseases of tomatoes. This element is involved in biological processes and improves nitrogen metabolism in plants.
Iodine treat tomato seeds before planting to destroy harmful spores. Before planting plants, it is recommended to water the soil with the addition of this element. When the first symptoms of phytophthora appear, the tomatoes are sprayed with a solution based on iodine.
For prophylaxis, iodine-based treatment can be carried out every 10 days. So, the immunity of tomatoes is increased and the process of fruit setting is improved.
Folk remedies
Traditional methods involve the use of improvised means to get rid of late blight. Such processing is good because all the constituent components are completely safe. The solutions themselves are easy to use and can be combined with other remedies for late blight.
Milk serum
Sour milk contains beneficial bacteria that can resist phytophthora spores. Processing is carried out by spraying tomato leaves.
For spraying, clean water at room temperature is taken. After getting on the leaves, the serum creates a protective film on their surface. This prevents harmful microorganisms from penetrating the stems, leaves and fruits of tomatoes.
The resulting solution can be used to process tomatoes from the beginning of July. You can carry out the procedure daily.
Ash introduction
Ash is a universal fertilizer for tomatoes, as it contains phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Fertilizing plants with ash has a positive effect on the fruiting and productivity of tomatoes.
An additional effect of using ash is protection against late blight... The products of combustion of wood and plant residues are introduced into the soil before planting tomatoes. Then, tomato seedlings, transferred to a permanent place, are treated with ash. The following procedures are performed before flowering and the appearance of the first ovaries.
The resulting mixture should be infused for three days. Then the sediment is drained, another 20 l of water is added and used for watering or spraying. To keep the solution on the leaves longer, add 30 g of soap to it.
Garlic sprays
Among the natural remedies for phytophthora, garlic stands out. Its composition includes phytoncides that can resist phytophthora spores and other diseases.
To prepare the solution, take 100 g of garlic (leaves, heads, arrows), which are crushed and poured into a glass of water. For a day, the agent will infuse, after which you need to strain it.
Processing is carried out by spraying the bush, including the ovaries and soil. The liquid should not get on the inflorescences. For prevention, you can use garlic sprays up to 2 times per season.
Salt
Table salt has disinfecting properties and is able to fight fungal diseases of tomatoes.
Processing is carried out by spraying green fruits and leaves. For prophylaxis, the procedure is carried out monthly.
Herbal infusions
To prepare the solution, 1 kg of rotten straw is required, which is filled with 10 liters of water. Additionally, you can add a handful of urea to it. The agent should be infused for 3 days, after which spraying can be carried out.
Another method is using nettles or wormwood. 1 kg of fresh chopped grass is poured with water (10 l) and left for a day. After straining, a ready-to-use spray product is obtained.
Instead of grass, you can use pine or spruce needles. Then 0.5 liters of water is required for a liter jar of needles, after which the product is cooked for 5 minutes. The finished solution is obtained by diluting the broth with water in a ratio of 1: 5.
Yeast solution
Yeast bacteria are able to suppress phytophthora in the early stages of its development. For this, a special watering solution is being prepared.
First, pour a little warm water over the yeast and leave it in a warm place. After a few days, the resulting remedy for late blight on tomatoes is diluted with water and used for feeding.
Watering is performed between rows of tomatoes. An additional effect of such processing will be an improvement in the composition of the soil, the appearance of new shoots and ovaries in tomatoes.
Copper wire
An effective protection against late blight can be ordinary copper wire... To do this, it is calcined over a fire and cleaned with sandpaper.
Then the wire is cut into pieces up to 5 cm long. Each piece is placed in a tomato stem at a height of up to 10 cm from the ground. The ends of the wire are bent downward.
You can also place the wire in the root system of tomatoes before planting them. Due to copper, oxidation processes are accelerated, which has a positive effect on oxygen metabolism and the production of chlorophyll by tomatoes. As a result, plant immunity and resistance to late blight increase.
Prevention measures
You can avoid late blight by carrying out the following measures:
- restore the natural balance of the soil by adding peat or sand;
- change planting sites;
- plant tomatoes after beets, zucchini, herbs, corn, cucumbers, onions;
- adhere to the landing pattern;
- water the plants in the morning so that moisture is absorbed into the soil;
- regularly ventilate the greenhouse;
- in cloudy weather, do not water, but loosen the topsoil;
- carry out top dressing based on potassium and phosphorus;
- choose varieties that are resistant to diseases.
Additionally, greenhouses and greenhouses are processed: dirt and plant residues are removed. Fumigation of greenhouses helps to get rid of harmful spores. For this, a piece of wool is placed in a bucket of ember. After fumigation, the greenhouse is left closed for a day.
Conclusion
Phytophthora has characteristic manifestations and is capable of causing irreparable harm to tomatoes. To protect tomatoes, chemicals and folk methods are used. All of them are aimed at destroying pathogens. Tomatoes are additionally processed for prevention purposes. Compliance with planting rules, creating conditions with low humidity, and regular feeding of tomatoes helps to prevent the development of late blight. For best results, you can use several remedies for late blight.
