Hey there, fellow garden enthusiasts! Have you ever found yourself staring at your tomato plants, wondering what in the world is going on with them? You’re not alone! Every season, countless gardeners face issues with their tomatoes, from wilting leaves to pesky spots.
Let’s dive into some common tomato plant problems and easy organic solutions that I’ve picked up from experience (and some trial and error!).
Listen To The Podcast
Listen and Subscribe On Your Favorite Podcast Player
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Pandora | Pocket Casts | Castbox | Anchor | YouTube | RSS | Get Ad-Free On Patreon
Early Blight: The Fungal Foe
Early blight is a fungal disease that many tomato gardeners face. I’ve personally battled it several times in my garden, and while it can be frustrating, it’s totally manageable!
What to Look For:
- Brown spots on the leaves, often with rings around them (kind of like the rings of a tree).
- Spots can spread to the stem and even the tomatoes themselves if left untreated.
Prevention Tips:
- Pick the Right Tomato Variety: Some hybrid tomatoes are bred to be blight-resistant, which can make a huge difference!
- Keep It Dry: Water your tomatoes at the base instead of from above to keep the foliage dry. Wet leaves are more prone to fungus.
- Mulch It Up: Using mulch around your plants helps prevent soil from splashing up onto the leaves and spreading the fungus.
How to Treat Early Blight:
- Trim those Leaves: As soon as you see any infected leaves, carefully trim them off and dispose of them. Make sure not to compost them!
- Cornmeal Solution: This one’s my favorite! Sprinkling cornmeal around the base of your plants helps encourage beneficial microbes that fight off the fungus.
- DIY Cornmeal Juice: Mix about a cup of cornmeal with five gallons of water, let it soak, and then spray the resulting “cornmeal juice” on the leaves to help fight off the blight.
Late Blight: The Tomato Killer
Late blight is the more dangerous version of early blight. It can spread quickly and wipe out your entire tomato crop if you’re not careful!
What to Look For:
- Dark leaves that turn brown or black.
- You might also notice a fuzzy fungus growing on the underside of the leaves.
What To Do:
- Act Fast: If you spot late blight, pull up the infected plant immediately and get rid of it—far away from your garden!
- Prevention Is Key: Just like with early blight, focus on watering at the base of the plant and keeping the foliage dry.
Septoria Leaf Spot: The Sneaky Look-Alike
Septoria leaf spot is another common fungal disease, and it’s often confused with early blight.
What to Look For:
- Yellowing leaves with small black spores.
- Unlike early blight, you won’t see those circular spots with rings.
How to Treat It:
- Cornmeal to the Rescue: Just like early blight, using cornmeal and cornmeal juice works wonders for septoria leaf spot too.
- Trim and Toss: Remove infected leaves as soon as you see them and make sure to keep your garden clean and tidy.
- Mulvihill, Susan (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 224 Pages – 02/07/2023 (Publication Date) – Cool Springs Press (Publisher)
Last update on 2024-10-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Wilting Leaves: Too Much or Too Little Water?
Sometimes, tomato plants wilt not because of disease but because of poor watering habits.
Overwatering Symptoms:
- Light-colored wilting leaves, often confused with disease.
Underwatering Symptoms:
- Dark green wilting leaves that look dry and crispy.
How to Fix It:
- Balance Your Watering: Make sure your tomato plants are getting just the right amount of water. Good drainage is crucial, especially in raised beds or containers.
- Use Mulch: Mulching helps regulate soil moisture and can prevent both over- and underwatering problems.
Cracked Tomatoes: What’s the Deal?
Ever notice your tomatoes splitting open? That’s usually due to fluctuating temperatures or inconsistent watering.
How to Prevent Cracking:
- Shade Cloth: On really hot days, using a shade cloth can help regulate the temperature around your plants.
- Maintain Watering: Keeping a consistent watering schedule can help prevent those ugly splits.
Strong Plants Are Happy Plants
At the end of the day, the best defense against tomato troubles is a strong, healthy plant. Here are a few tips to help your tomatoes thrive:
- Use Compost: Feeding your plants with compost or compost tea keeps them strong and able to fend off diseases.
- Give Them Space: Don’t crowd your tomato plants. Good airflow helps prevent fungal diseases from spreading.
- Choose Disease-Resistant Varieties: If you’ve had lots of trouble with blight or other diseases in the past, consider planting hybrid varieties that are bred to resist these issues.
Spread the Love (But Not the Plants!)
One last tip that I’ve learned the hard way: don’t plant all your tomatoes in one spot! By spreading them out in different areas of your garden, you reduce the risk of disease wiping out your entire crop. If one area gets infected, your other plants might be spared.
Happy Tomato Growing!
I hope these tips help you keep your tomatoes happy, healthy, and blight-free this season! Gardening is always a bit of a challenge, but there’s nothing quite like biting into a juicy homegrown tomato.
Happy gardening and here’s to a great tomato harvest!
Resources
- USA blight, a national website that acts as an information portal on late blight. http://usablight.org/
- The recipe for the cornmeal juice mixture I mentioned is from DirtDoctor.com as is listed among several other organic gardening recipes at this link- https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Organic-Recipes-Homemade_vq429.htm
