Household Cure for Tomato Blight

Blight damages tomato plants, potentially causing death of the entire crop.

Tomato blight is a common and potentially fatal tomato disease caused by a fungal infection. Blight strikes without warning. Symptoms of tomato blight include spotting of leaves and withering foliage. The best household cure for tomato blight is prevention, as this disease is largely incurable. Properly preventing and treating blight makes tomato plants much healthier.

Types

Three main types of blight affect tomato plants: septoria leaf spot, early blight and late blight. All are spread by fungal spores, which are transported through moisture. In wet conditions, blight symptoms are much worse and the disease will spread much faster from plant to plant. Septoria leaf spot appears on the underside of leaves after fruits first appear. Leaf damage effects the amount of nutrients fruits take up, as well as exposing leafs to sunscald and other damaging effects. Look for early-blight symptoms on the lower leaves of the tomato plants after fruit has started to grow. The spots on the leaves appear in a concentric, bull's-eye pattern. Early blight may also attack the fruits, causing them to drop from the plant before they ripen. Late blight appears on the edges of leaves, spreading inward to cover foliage in downy, white fungus. Late-blight spots also appear on the fruits, and will spread rapidly from plant to plant.

Prevention

Prevent tomato blight by practicing good cultivation of plants. Rotate tomato plants each year; do not consistently plant them in the same location. Space each plant 3 feet apart of provide proper air circulation around plants, which reduces the risk of fungal disease. Give tomato plants support, in the form of wooden stakes or wire cages, so they grow upward. Plants that grow upward, instead of sprawling and clumping on the ground, dry faster. Moisture fosters fungal growth. Cover the soil around tomato plants with a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch to prevent the spread of fungal spores in June. Water the base of tomato plants, and avoid getting moisture on the leaves and fruits. Tomato plants should be watered in the morning so they will have time to dry during the day.

Destroying Blight

Do not attempt to save tomato plants that have been affected by blight. Remember that blight spreads quickly, and some types of the disease will affect fruit. Dig up any plants that show evidence of blight, and do not place them in compost pile or keep them near the garden. Wrap infected plants in plastic and place them immediately in the trash. Wash your hands before touching anything else in the garden.

Cures

Tomato blight cannot be cured, and that's why it is advisable to simply dispose of infected plants, but there are aggressive prevention methods that help gardeners avoid blight completely. Liberally spray tomato plants with copper-based or sulphur-based fungicide to prevent blight. A spray of baking soda and water (50:50 ratio) works as a household fungicide to prevent blight and kill fungi spores.

References

• Iowa State University Extension; Control of Tomato Blights in the Home Garden; April 26, 1996
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Early Blight of Tomato; 2010
• Purdue University Extension; Tomato Blight; Beverly Shaw
• Rodale; Tomato Blight Strikes Again in 2010!; Leah Zerbe; June 16th, 2010
• The Leader-Herald; Tomato Blight; Mike Zummo; August 16, 2009
• Veggie Gardener: Tips for Preventing and Treating Tomato Blights

Resources

• Grandma's Home Remedies: Home Remedies for Tomato Blight
• NDSU Extension; Disease Management in Home-Grown Tomatoes; H. Arthur Lamey, et al.; November 1992