Early Blight? - Ask Extension
I seem to have early blight this year. I get blight nearly every year, but usually later in the year, around September, when the crop is pretty much d...
Knowledgebase
Early Blight? #878021
Asked July 20, 2024, 12:40 PM EDT
I seem to have early blight this year. I get blight nearly every year, but usually later in the year, around September, when the crop is pretty much done anyway.. I have taken care to prune the plants to not let the foliage touch the ground, etc... so i am a bit disheartened. Plants are 4-5' high and healthy otherwise, with tomatoes on the plants and lots of blossoms. We grow only Romas as we use them primarily for cooking/sauce.
I am going to try to excise the affected foliage, but it is pretty much every plant at this point. We have 18. Any thoughts about treatment/trying to save my plants? Everything i read is pretty bleak.
This is the first year we have used the Back to Eden gardening method, of using wood chips as mulch and it has proven to be good this far. All my plants are thriving. I am attaching pics of the plants and of the affected foliage.
Medina County Ohio
Expert Response
Hello,
Early blight is a very common fungal disease of tomatoes and it is very difficult to avoid. Tomatoes can tolerate an early blight infection without reducing the tomato supply. You seem to be doing what you should to curb the spread of the disease by trimming off the infected leaves, mulching properly and trellising.
Other helpful measures would be these: water at the base of the plant and avoid getting the leaves wet, increase the air flow by removing weeds, plant suckers, and selected branches. Up to one third of the tomato plant's leaves can be removed if infected. All diseased plant material should be thrown away or destroyed. Tools that are used in pruning or gathering fallen leaves should be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach/ 9 parts water) after each use,
Fungicides can be used but are usually the most effective if used early in the season at the first sign of fungal growth on the leaves.
Also, the fungal pathogens can stay in the soil for at least two years and maybe more. To avoid a recurrence next year, the tomatoes should be planted in another location. When planting the tomatoes, be sure they are spaced at least 2-3 feet apart.
There are varieties that are more resistant to early blight than others but it's important to note that this does not mean the plant will completely avoid getting early blight, but rather it will incur less damage from the fungus. That being said, it would be a good idea to buy blight resistant plants or seed in the future.
I've listed several links below with articles about early blight. After reading these, please write back if you should have more questions.
Thanks for asking Ask Extension.
Betsy B. - MGV
https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/early-blight-tomato-and-potato
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/early-blight-tomatoes/
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/early-blight-of-tomato
https://vegpath.plantpath.wisc.edu/diseases/tomato-early-blight/
Early blight is a very common fungal disease of tomatoes and it is very difficult to avoid. Tomatoes can tolerate an early blight infection without reducing the tomato supply. You seem to be doing what you should to curb the spread of the disease by trimming off the infected leaves, mulching properly and trellising.
Other helpful measures would be these: water at the base of the plant and avoid getting the leaves wet, increase the air flow by removing weeds, plant suckers, and selected branches. Up to one third of the tomato plant's leaves can be removed if infected. All diseased plant material should be thrown away or destroyed. Tools that are used in pruning or gathering fallen leaves should be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach/ 9 parts water) after each use,
Fungicides can be used but are usually the most effective if used early in the season at the first sign of fungal growth on the leaves.
Also, the fungal pathogens can stay in the soil for at least two years and maybe more. To avoid a recurrence next year, the tomatoes should be planted in another location. When planting the tomatoes, be sure they are spaced at least 2-3 feet apart.
There are varieties that are more resistant to early blight than others but it's important to note that this does not mean the plant will completely avoid getting early blight, but rather it will incur less damage from the fungus. That being said, it would be a good idea to buy blight resistant plants or seed in the future.
I've listed several links below with articles about early blight. After reading these, please write back if you should have more questions.
Thanks for asking Ask Extension.
Betsy B. - MGV
https://extension.umn.edu/disease-management/early-blight-tomato-and-potato
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/early-blight-tomatoes/
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/early-blight-of-tomato
https://vegpath.plantpath.wisc.edu/diseases/tomato-early-blight/
