

It is generally fatal to both tomatoes and potatoes it can spread for miles, and it was largely responsible for the death of one million Irish people (although the reasons for that famine were highly political and not just agricultural in nature).
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If you think early blight is bad, late blight is much worse. Late blight is caused by a fungus-like water mold, Phytophthora infestans. To avoid any potential confusion, I want to stress that early blight is not the same thing as late blight – the devastating disease responsible for the Irish potato famine. You may have also heard of a disease known as late blight. The tomatoes are still edible, particularly if the disease is mostly confined to the foliage. If you catch an outbreak early enough, you may be able to save your crop. The fungus overwinters in the soil, and spores can be spread by wind, water, insects, and even on your clothes or shoes. Melanson, Mississippi State University Extension,, via CC BY-SA. High humidity and temperatures above 75☏ cause it to spread rapidly. It can occur at any time during the growing season.

Downy mildew spreads along wet leaves, so the longer they stay wet, the higher the risk of becoming contaminated by the tomato blight. Tightly packed tomato plants lead to a closed, stuffy environment that is exactly what downy mildew needs to grow.

If air circulates well, you will guarantee quicker drying of leaves. Most important to avoid tomato blight is to space tomato plants well apart. If not treated, the disease can spread to an entire crop in just days and destroy the harvest. Once contaminated, tomato plant leaves start to blacken. Tomato blight is a fungus with latin name Phytophthora infestans that results in a devastating fungal disease related to downy mildew.Īs for all mushrooms, two factors meet to provide the most favorable conditions to its growth: heat and moisture. Another tomato pathogen – tomato leaf spot.
BLIGHT ON TOMATOES HOW TO
Here is how to avoid this blight and treat this disease with organic techniques. Tomato late blight is one of the most devastating diseases because downy mildew spreads extremely quickly.Īs soon as black spots appear on leaves, you should prepare for this worst of tomato blight, the late tomato blight
