We have received many calls and emails this week regarding tomato ailments. Most report a dying of the plants foliage from the ground up. There are various fungal problems that this can be associated with. Here are some tips in keeping your plants disease free this summer.
Stress
A stressed plant is a weakend plant. Make sure your tomato does not go thirsty during these hot summer months. The last few weeks have been both hot and dry and mulching has been critical. This also helps avoid splash-back from the soil when they do get watered which is a major source of infection.
Ventilation as with other crops is important so make sure there is adequate space between plantings.
Feeding
An under nourished plant is also a plant more prone to disease. With tomatoes Calcium is very important in avoiding problems such as "blossom end rot" which destroys the fruit. Some potting mixes such as Herb Sensation from Debco contain added Calcium, as does the Miricle Grow Tomato Food, otherwise apply garden lime or Dolomite with your regular feeding program. As another caution avoid fertilisers too high in Nitrogen which can make soft growth prone to disease. Always look for a specialised flower and fruit formula which will not stretch the plants too much and induce flowering and fruiting.
Controls of Fungal Diseases
One of the best products to use on your tomato plants is the new Yates Tomato Dust. It contains both a fungicide to control early blight (target spot), late blight, septoria leaf spot and organic insecticide to control other problems such as budworm as well as mites. Apply every 7 - 10 days. Alternatively a Copper based fungicide may be useful such as Copper Oxychloride which will prevent the disease from entering the plant.
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