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One of the most dangerous diseases for tomatoes is 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. Remedies for late blight on tomatoes include special preparations and folk recipes.
Phytophthora signs
Phytophthora reproduces by spores that persist in the soil, on garden tools, plant debris, and the surface of greenhouses.
Initially, phytophthora manifests itself in the form of a plaque on the lower parts of tomatoes, which are not easy to notice. However, the disease spreads rapidly, and in three days causes significant damage to the crop.
Phytophthora is determined by the following features:
- 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 spots appear on the fruits.
Reasons for the appearance of phytophthora
For the development of phytophthora on tomatoes, a certain environment is required. The spread of the disease begins when the following conditions are present:
- high lime content;
- dense landings;
- high humidity in the greenhouse;
- temperature fluctuations causing dew;
- weakened immunity of tomatoes.
The best ways to fight
Various methods are used to get rid of phytophthora. 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 means of combating phytophthora on tomatoes, which are available in the form of powder, tablets or liquid.
Special drugs
To get rid of phytophthora, special tools 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.
- Antracol is a contact drug that does not have a toxic effect. Provides protection for up to 14 days.
- Quadris – a means for spraying tomatoes growing in open or protected ground. For processing, 2 procedures with an interval of 10 days are enough.
- 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, Bordeaux liquid is used. It is obtained from quicklime and copper sulfate. Plants are treated 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. The volume of the solution is then increased to 5 liters by adding water.
In another container, 0,1 kg of lime is poured into 5 liters of water. A solution of vitriol is carefully added to lime milk.
When spraying, the liquid should cover the leaves of the tomatoes. The agent 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, the soil is processed. For this, a 3% solution of copper sulfate is prepared.
After the final transplantation of plants, the soil is treated with copper sulphate of 1% concentration. Tomato leaves are sprayed with a similar solution.
When using copper sulphate, the indicated concentrations must be observed. Otherwise, the tomatoes will get a burn of the 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 is treated with 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 an iodine-based solution.
For prevention, iodine-based treatment can be carried out every 10 days. So, the immunity of tomatoes increases and the process of fruit setting improves.
Folk remedies
Folk methods involve the use of improvised means to get rid of phytophthora. This treatment is good because all the constituent components are completely safe. The solutions themselves are easy to use and can be combined with other phytophthora remedies.
Milk serum
Sour milk contains beneficial bacteria that can resist Phytophthora spores. Processing is carried out by spraying the leaves of tomatoes.
For spraying, clean water at room temperature is taken. After hitting the leaves, the serum creates a protective film on their surface. This serves as an obstacle to harmful microorganisms from penetrating the stems, leaves and fruits of tomatoes.
The resulting solution can process tomatoes from the beginning of July. You can carry out the procedure daily.
Ash application
Ash is a universal fertilizer for tomatoes because it contains phosphorus, potassium and calcium. Fertilizing plants with ash has a positive effect on the fruiting and yield of tomatoes.
An additional effect of the use of ash is protection against phytophthora. The combustion products of wood and plant residues are introduced into the soil before planting tomatoes. Then the ashes are processed tomato seedlings, transferred to a permanent place. 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 liters of water are added and used for irrigation or spraying. To keep the solution longer on the leaves, 30 g of soap is added to it.
Garlic sprays
Among the natural remedies for phytophthora, garlic stands out. Its composition includes phytoncides that can withstand late blight spores and other diseases.
To prepare the solution, 100 g of garlic (leaves, heads, arrows) are taken, which are crushed and poured into a glass of water. For a day, the remedy will infuse, after which you need to strain it.
Processing is carried out by spraying the bush, including ovaries and soil. The liquid should not fall on the inflorescences. For prevention, you can use garlic spraying up to 2 times per season.
Salt
Table salt has disinfectant properties and is able to fight fungal diseases of tomatoes.
Processing is carried out by spraying green fruits and leaves. For prevention, the procedure is carried out monthly.
Herbal infusions
To prepare the solution, 1 kg of rotten straw is required, which is poured into 10 liters of water. Additionally, you can add a handful of urea to it. The product should be infused for 3 days, after which spraying can be carried out.
Another method is the use of nettle or wormwood. 1 kg of fresh chopped grass is poured with water (10 l) and left for a day. After straining, a ready-made spray is obtained.
Instead of grass, you can use pine or spruce needles. Then, a liter jar of needles requires 0,5 liters of water, after which the product is boiled 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 late blight in the early stages of its development. For this, a special solution for irrigation is prepared.
First, the yeast is poured with a small amount of warm water and left in a warm place. A few days later, the resulting remedy for phytophthora on tomatoes is diluted with water and used for feeding.
Watering is carried out between rows with tomatoes. An additional effect of such treatment 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 phytophthora can be ordinary copper wire. To do this, it is calcined on fire and cleaned with sandpaper.
Then the wire is cut into pieces up to 5 cm long. Each piece is placed in a tomato stalk at a height of up to 10 cm from the ground. The ends of the wire are bent down.
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 phytophthora increase.
Preventive measures
Phytophthora can be avoided by taking the following measures:
- restore the natural balance of the soil by adding peat or sand;
- change places for planting plants;
- plant tomatoes after beets, zucchini, greens, corn, cucumbers, onions;
- adhere to the landing pattern;
- water the plants in the morning so that moisture is absorbed into the soil;
- regularly air the greenhouse;
- in cloudy weather, do not irrigate, but loosen the top layer of soil;
- carry out top dressing based on potassium and phosphorus;
- Choose varieties that are disease resistant.
Additionally, greenhouses and hotbeds are treated: pollution and plant residues are removed. Fumigation of greenhouses helps to get rid of harmful spores. To do this, a piece of wool is placed in a bucket of smoldering coal. After fumigation, the greenhouse is left closed for a day.
Conclusion
Phytophthora has characteristic manifestations and can cause irreparable harm to tomatoes. To protect tomatoes, chemicals and folk methods are used. All of them are aimed at the destruction of pathogens. Tomatoes are additionally processed for prevention purposes. Compliance with the rules of planting, creating conditions with low humidity, and regular feeding of tomatoes helps to prevent the development of phytophthora. To achieve the best result, you can use several remedies for phytophthora.
