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Help with blight #872377

Asked June 10, 2024, 10:39 AM EDT

Hi - I grow a lot of tomatoes in my home garden and last year had a major issue with blight. I’m not sure if it was early or late blight. How do I tell the difference? Do you have any recommendations on how to deal with blight in the garden? A fungicide was recommended by a friend but I’m trying to grow my veggies organically. Anything you could recommend to deal with blight organically? Thank you so much for your help!

Leelanau County Michigan

Expert Response

Hi Amy, thanks for the question.

"Blight" is really a set of symptoms that are brought about by various diseases. Prevention is key.  Start with good sanitation practices. Use disease free transplants or seed and other materials. Pick resistant varieties. Make sure you sanitize tools, cages, et al. Diseases can be spread via tools. Good cleanup in fall is very important. Remove nearby weeds. Rotate crops if possible.  Avoid overhead watering, prolonged leaf wetness is an ideal way to promote disease. Keep your plants healthy with appropriate feeding and watering. There are also several organic fungicides including copper and sulfur products and well as biopesticides.  Check out the following links:

Tomato Diseases & Disorders | Home & Garden Information Center (clemson.edu)

Biopesticides for Managing Diseases of Tomatoes Organically | Cornell Vegetables

Organic Tomato Production – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture (ncat.org)

I hope this helps.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied June 12, 2024, 10:03 AM EDT

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