Tomato diseases

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by greg draiss on July 8, 2010 at 11:12am

You do not have late blight. It appears to be early blight by the looks of things. Control can be achieved with copper dust, perhaps sulphur and daconil.

Avoid watering in the evening, keep water off the leaves as best you can etc. etc.

Late blight has been found in Maryland and Louisianna this year. Another disease on basil this years has been grey blight which is said to be a devastataing long lasting problem for basil growers. As basil accounts for 50% of commercially grown herbs in the US this ia potentail disaster.

Greg Draiss
Garden GURU to the Middle Class

Permalink Reply by Cheryl Hearty on July 15, 2010 at 10:47am

I agree with Greg's diagnosis of early blight. I would like to offer some suggestions for the organic gardener. If the disease is detected early, infected leaves can be picked off and destroyed. Increasing air circulation around the plants is helpful. Proper spacing and removing suckers from indeterminate varieties as they appear and staking plants upright can help increase air circulation. Look for disease resistant varieties, practice crop rotation, and always do a thorough cleanup at the end of the season. Do not compost diseased plants.

Late blight has also been found in Suffolk County Long Island. We are optimistic that the disease will be held in check by warmer, drier weather conditions this summer. Also, public awareness has been very helpful with early detection.

Cheryl Hearty
Community Horticulture Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County

Attachments:

• Early-Blight-and-Septoria-Leaf-Spot-of-Tomato.pdf, 377 KB

Permalink Reply by greg draiss on July 15, 2010 at 10:51am

Have also seen or heard of some late blight in Dutchess. But very localized possibly due to potato tubers left inground over winter

Permalink Reply by Cheryl Hearty on July 15, 2010 at 11:05am

We have not had any confirmed reports of late blight in Dutchess County or surrounding counties. We are asking that anyone who suspects they have late blight to please submit a sample to their county's Cornell Cooperative Extension office. The NYS IPM program has been tracking the disease- http://blogs.cornell.edu/lateblight/.

Permalink Reply by greg draiss on July 15, 2010 at 11:37am

A customer brought some leaves into our Poughkeepsie store with blight. Was told this by Neil. I am in the Kingston store now.............have not seen any here or in my yard in Greene County