How to process tomatoes from phytophthora in a greenhouse

Those who have come across the appearance of phytophthora on tomatoes in a greenhouse know how difficult it is to get rid of this disease without taking any measures immediately after the first signs of infection. Indoors, this disease manifests itself much more often, and also spreads faster to all plants. Fortunately, there are many folk and chemical methods to combat this disease. But still, it is necessary to start the fight, or rather, prevention in advance, since it is very difficult to get rid of phytophthora. It is simply impossible to overcome this disease without damage to the crop. Therefore, it is worth finding out in more detail how the fight against late blight on tomatoes in a greenhouse is carried out. And also an equally important issue will be discussed – how to protect tomatoes from late blight.

Where does phytophthora come from

Phytophthora refers to fungal diseases. Spores of this fungus can be stored in the ground throughout the winter. For a long time, gardeners may not know that their beds are infected with late blight. Potato plantings are the first to suffer from the disease, and then late blight spreads to other nightshade crops.

Phytophthora can be in the soil for several years, but not progress. Without the appropriate conditions, the fungus will not manifest itself. Moisture is the best breeding ground for Phytophthora. As soon as the humidity in the greenhouse rises due to temperature changes or fog, the disease will immediately make itself felt.

The experience of many gardeners shows that it is impossible to completely cure late blight. The only solution to this problem is to stop the activity of the fungus. By applying preventive measures, you can prevent late blight from becoming more active. In greenhouse conditions, treating the disease is much more difficult. Very often late blight destroys almost the entire crop. If the fungus spreads throughout all tomato bushes, then there is very little chance of overcoming the disease. In this case, gardeners have to take extreme measures and destroy the fungus along with planting tomatoes.

A warning sign of the disease will be a change in the appearance of the leaves. Almost immediately after infection, they begin to turn yellow, and then dry out and crumble. After the fungus destroys all the leaves on the lower part of the bushes, it “proceeds” to the fruits. First of all, small black spots appear on young tomatoes. When they first begin to spread through the fruits, it will not be so easy to notice them. But very soon the spots will increase in size, and it will be impossible to ignore such a phenomenon.

disease prevention

Tomatoes are often subject to fungal diseases. This vegetable crop is very sensitive to increased levels of humidity. The reason for the appearance of phytophthora may be incorrect, too plentiful watering. But dry and hot weather, on the contrary, will allow phytophthora not to spread. It is also very important to follow the rules for growing and caring for tomatoes. Prevention of late blight on tomatoes in a greenhouse is the most effective method in the fight against the disease.

It may seem that under bad weather conditions, the treatment of phytophthora on tomatoes will still not give positive results. But still, you can take steps that will reduce the risk of the disease to a minimum:

• varieties with high resistance to late blight should be selected. Also pay attention to how the selected tomatoes are suitable for growing in your area. Indeterminate tomatoes are most often affected by late blight;
• Phytophthora first of all affects weak and sluggish plants. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of plant immunity already at the seedling stage. Strong seedlings will be able to withstand this terrible “enemy”;
• all leaves at the bottom of the bushes should be removed. Do not underestimate this point, since pinching is also directly related to the prevention of phytophthora;

  

• no need to thicken the tomato seedlings in the greenhouse too much. The correct landing pattern must be followed. Bushes should not obscure their “neighbors”. The sun is the most important “enemy of phytophthora”;
• It is necessary to water the plants under the bush, and not along the leaves and stems. On wet tomatoes, the disease manifests itself most quickly;
• in order to prevent dampness from accumulating in the greenhouse, it is necessary to ventilate it often. If the walls in the room are sweating, this is the first sign of an increase in humidity levels;
• mulching the soil will reduce the need for tomatoes in water. Due to the fact that the liquid will linger in the soil longer, the frequency of watering can be reduced;
• tall varieties of tomatoes must be tied up in a timely manner so that the plants do not lie on the ground. Because of this, the likelihood of late blight only increases. If it is not possible to tie bushes, it is better to purchase undersized varieties;

  

• before planting seedlings in a greenhouse, tillage should be carried out. To do this, even in the fall, the remains of all plants, which are often carriers of late blight, are removed from the beds. It is also necessary to disinfect the walls of the greenhouse itself. If there were no signs of the disease last year, then such thorough preparation can be omitted.

Fungal spores can also be found in seeds. Therefore, you should be very careful when preparing seed on your own. In no case should you collect fruits for seeds from infected bushes. Even if there are no signs of phytophthora damage on a particular fruit from an infected bush, this does not mean at all that it is healthy. Spots may not appear immediately.

How to save tomatoes from late blight in a greenhouse

The most popular drugs for the fight and prevention of late blight are:

• Bordeaux mixture;
• phytosporin;
• copper oxychloride.

Although these drugs have a chemical composition, but still, subject to the rules of use, they do not threaten human life and health. Treatment with these substances is carried out every two weeks. In specialized stores, you can also find drugs such as Oxychoma, Metaxil and Acrobat. They are less popular, but also in practice have shown their effectiveness. You can determine when to spray tomatoes from phytophthora by the plant itself. You can start when the first ovaries appear on the bushes. But if the summer this year is rainy and cold, it will only be better if the processing of the bushes starts earlier.

Folk methods of dealing with phytophthora

Many gardeners practice the use of whey on their plot. This is a simple and economical way to prevent phytophthora. The serum envelops the plant, creating a protective layer that prevents the spores of the fungus from penetrating inside.

Similarly, a solution of kitchen salt acts on tomato seedlings. To prepare it in a large container, combine 1 cup of ordinary salt with a bucket of water. Further, the solution must be stirred until the salt crystals are completely dissolved. The solution is used for spraying bushes. It, like serum, creates a protective layer on the surface of the plant.

You can also spray tomatoes from late blight with an infusion of garlic and manganese. To do this, crush 5 heads of garlic. Now it is placed in a bucket of water and left for a day to infuse. Then 0,5 g of potassium permanganate is added to the liquid. Strain the mixture before use.

Iodine from late blight on tomatoes is a very popular method of dealing with this disease. To prepare the solution, the following components are needed:

1. 9 liters of water.
2. 1 liter of milk.
3. 13-15 drops of iodine.

All ingredients are mixed, and the tomatoes are treated with the prepared solution.

Soil treatment in a greenhouse after phytophthora

Many gardeners do not attach much importance to the cultivation of the land in the greenhouse. Because of this, the disease is transmitted to plants from year to year. Phytophthora spores easily tolerate cold, being in the ground, and immediately with the onset of heat and appropriate conditions will make themselves felt. The accumulation of fungi every year makes the disease more aggressive. And in the near future, all known methods will be simply powerless.

As a prevention of late blight, the soil should be treated with a solution of phytosporin. If the disease is already advanced and manifests itself every year, it is necessary to treat the soil with a stronger preparation in the fall immediately after harvesting in order to prevent the onset of the disease next year.

The new soil must be fertile. In no case should it be taken from the beds where nightshade crops previously grew, because phytophthora affects them first.

How to protect tomatoes from phytophthora

Most often, late blight appears on greenhouse tomatoes in the month of August. The fact is that late blight loves temperature fluctuations, and it is during this period that the weather becomes unstable. In open ground, tomatoes can get sick throughout the season. In a greenhouse, it is much easier to create the necessary conditions for the normal growth of tomatoes.

Starting in August, gardeners are advised to use additional ways to heat the greenhouse at night. For example, you can put a barrel of water in the middle of the greenhouse. During the day, it will completely heat up, and at night it will give off heat to the plants. You can stretch a film or other covering material over the tomatoes, which perfectly protects the plants from the cold.

Greenhouse treatment after late blight

If it so happened that the tomatoes in the greenhouse still fell ill with late blight, then it is necessary to secure the next year’s crop. For this, a thorough processing of the premises itself is carried out. To minimize the likelihood of phytophthora, you must follow these rules:

1. Remove all weeds and vegetable residues. All this must be burned so that the phytophthora does not spread to other plants. Even when rotted, they remain dangerous, so the remains of vegetation from the greenhouse are not suitable for composting.
2. In a polycarbonate or glass greenhouse, all walls and windows should be thoroughly washed. You can add baking soda to the cleaning water.

   

3. After cleaning, it is necessary to disinfect all surfaces with a solution of special preparations. A fungicide such as phytosporin is perfect.
4. If all the plants in the greenhouse were sick, you will need to replace the topsoil. As mentioned above, the fungus feels very good in the ground in winter.

How to save tomatoes after phytophthora

Infected tomatoes will not be able to be stored for a long time, even if there are no visible signs of the disease on the fruits. Tomatoes from an infected bush will begin to deteriorate in the near future anyway. In order to somehow prolong the freshness of grown tomatoes, it is necessary to dip the fruits in water preheated to +60 ° C. Tomatoes should be kept in it for several minutes until the fruits warm up well. But, you need to make sure that they do not boil.

Conclusion

Phytophthora on tomatoes in a greenhouse is the most common disease of this crop. It can unpredictably appear already during the ripening of the fruit and simply destroy the entire crop. Therefore, many gardeners are wondering how to process tomatoes from late blight. It seems that today there are no untried methods left on how to deal with late blight on tomatoes in a greenhouse. But no one has been able to find a truly effective method. All known methods of struggle only help to stop the spread of this disease.

But still, we are fighting late blight by taking preventive measures and following the rules for caring for tomatoes. Protection of tomatoes from phytophthora is timely watering, ventilation of the greenhouse, compliance with the temperature regime and other preventive measures. Faced with this disease, do not despair, because it is still possible to save the tomato crop from phytophthora.