Favorable conditions for late blight develop at high humidity, sharp temperature changes. This dangerous fungal infection often manifests itself on dense overgrown tomato bushes. Treatment should be started at the first sign of a disease that can ruin most of the crop. Be sure to carry out preventive measures.
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Distinctive signs of late blight
You can notice the first symptoms of a dangerous disease on the leaves. Lilac-brown markings appear here, framed by a light green border. On the seamy side, dark spots are formed with a whitish coating, representing the spores of the fungus.
Gradually, late blight captures the entire aerial part, including the fruits, which are covered with hard brown blots. They lose their commercial and taste qualities. It is necessary to immediately cut and burn the stems affected by the fungus. They must not be placed in the compost pit. Then prepare special formulations for spraying.
Processing facilities
It is recommended to use safe formulations prepared according to folk recipes to prevent the development of late blight. The first spraying is practiced when the first buds appear. The procedure is repeated after 2 weeks.
- Milk whey + iodine
Dilute whey, which has not undergone the pasteurization process, with water in a ratio of 1: 4. In 5 liters of solution, 15 drops of pharmaceutical iodine are stirred. Used to irrigate tomatoes immediately after cooking.
- Garlic + potassium permanganate
It is necessary to grind 100 g of garlic cloves (arrows or feathers) into a gruel. Insist 24 hours in 250 ml of water. After filtering, 1 g of potassium permanganate crystals are dissolved in a liquid. Pour the concentrate into a 10-liter container with water.
- Turmeric
A tincture is preliminarily prepared. You will need 10 g of powdered turmeric, which is mixed with 2 g of ground black pepper. Pour the components into a bottle with 200 ml of vodka. After a day, 50 ml of concentrated tincture is diluted with 5 liters of settled water. With stirring, pour in 0.5 l of natural whey.
- Ash
The soil surface under the tomatoes is pollinated with wood ash 7 days after planting on the beds. Repeat at the stage of fruit setting.
- Horsetail
Place in a saucepan with 1 liter of water 100 g of dry horsetail (you can take 150 g of fresh grass). After boiling with low heat, cook for half an hour. The strained broth is poured into a container with 5 liters of cold water.
Since late blight spreads quickly, the disease should be treated immediately as soon as characteristic signs appear. They use such a professional drug as "Pharmacist". It was developed on the basis of azoxystrobin. The action begins one hour after the spraying. The protective period lasts 2-4 weeks.
Prevention of late blight development
To prevent the development of a dangerous disease, several rules must be followed:
- Varieties of tomatoes are planted that show resistance to the appearance of late blight.
- Observe the crop rotation.
- At high acidity, dolomite flour, crushed chalk or lime are added to the soil.
- They carry out autumn and spring disinfection of the greenhouse and the tools used.
- Exclude the neighborhood of tomatoes with potatoes.
- Thinning dense plantings.
- Leaves in the lower tier of tomato bushes are removed, avoiding their contact with the ground.
- The greenhouse is ventilated daily.
- Water the tomatoes in the morning at the root.
- Weeding is carried out regularly.
After the end of fruiting, the site is cleaned of organic residues.
Late blight is a common and very dangerous disease. To save the tomato crop, it is important to carry out preventive measures. Be sure to use special preparations if the first signs of a fungal infection are noticed on the plants.
Do you process tomatoes from late blight?
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