To grow a rich harvest of tomatoes is a special pride of any owner of a garden plot. But when breeding seedlings and cultivating adult plants, tomato diseases are not uncommon, and special knowledge is needed to cope with them. The article gives advice on how to deal with misfortunes and protect plants.
Seedling diseases
As a rule, the time for planting tomato seedlings begins in February and lasts until March. At this time, the seeds are sown in special containers, which are located closer to the sun. Only after rising, seedlings already become vulnerable. After germination of the seeds and their removal, diseases of tomato seedlings, such as a black leg, white spotting, are possible.
The black leg is called a nightshade thunderstorm, as it affects not only tomatoes, but also pepper and eggplant. The first signs appear on seedlings. In plants, the submucosal knee begins to rot, and as a result, they die. The black leg, like some other tomato diseases, is an infectious fungal disease. Its pathogens are in the soil and weak plants are affected by their exposure. In order not to miss the occurrence of the disease, seedlings must be carefully examined every day. If the root neck of the plant darkens, and it fades on sunny days - this indicates the first manifestations of the black leg.
Seedlings at the very beginning of the development of the disease will help save the following measures. For watering plants, it is necessary to make a weak solution of potassium permanganate, to spud them. As a prophylaxis for seedlings, it is better to use fresh, well-frozen soil in winter. Before sowing seeds, prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and water it. Crops should not be planted densely in moderately moist soil, which is loosened around the plants. A room with seedlings of tomato should be aired.
Diseases of Adult Plants
There are tomato diseases that cause particular concern among gardeners. For example, a mosaic, which is a viral disease, causes mottled patches on plant leaves. Affected plants grow poorly and lose productivity.
Fungal diseases of tomatoes include white spotting, brown spotting, late blight. They are characterized by the appearance of dirty white or brown spots on the leaves of plants. Developing, the fungus reduces the yield, can lead to the death of plants.
Let us dwell in more detail on such a tomato disease as late blight, which is the most common and harmful. It affects plants during the fruiting period. Wet and humid weather contributes to its development. A fungal disease spreads through wind, dew and rain.
So that the plant is not affected by late blight, it is necessary to remove old leaves in time. Usually the disease begins to develop on potatoes, and then spreads to tomatoes. Its symptoms are the appearance of brown spots on the edges of leaves and on the fruits. It is necessary to track the moment of its appearance in order to urgently take action. During the fruit pouring period, tomatoes are fed with potassium and phosphorus to increase the resistance of plants to late blight. Watering should not be abused. In cloudy weather, it is enough to limit ourselves to loosening the soil around the plants.
Sometimes they recall the chemicals that are used to combat late blight. But gardeners, not trusting such drugs, seek and find other ways.
For all gardeners who love tomato disease and the fight against them is a burning topic. In this case, listen to any advice and opinions of experts. So, the specialist recommends that you cultivate the soil to remove bacterial and fungal infections. To do this, first remove the remnants of last year's plants and two to four centimeters of the upper soil layer. Then add fresh soil, shed the beds with copper sulfate or copper oxychloride.