Plant specialist Dr. Alan Windham explains how to cope with tomato diseases. The best way to prevent them is to choose resistant varieties. If you see the initials VFN on a tomato seed packet, it means that the variety is resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt and root knot nematodes. A T on the label means the variety is resistant to tobacco mosaic virus, which can be problem for tomatoes, especially if they're grown near tobacco. How can you tell whether your tomato has a disease? Infected plants usually have poor color and are unproductive. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms that feed on roots, interfering with the plant's ability to take up water or nutrients, causing stunted growth. Unfortunately, you can't tell for sure whether a plant is suffering from this disease without pulling it up and examining the roots. To avoid the problem in future, don't grow tomatoes in the same location two years in a row. Grow grasses where tomatoes were planted to sweeten the soil. You can also plant resistant varieties and plant marigolds -- which help eliminate nematodes -- in the tomato patch. If you use the crop rotation method, move your tomato plants 15' to 20' from the original site. When choosing tomato plants in the nursery, avoid those with visible leaf spots. When a tomato is infected by early blight, the leaves begin to die from the bottom of the plant, and the disease works its way up. Late blight is not as common as early blight. Fungicide sprays may be used to prevent these two diseases. Blossom-end rot can be prevented by spraying the foliage of young plants with calcium chloride. Once the rot shows up, it's too late. Spray plants to prevent blossom-end rot if there's a history of this disease in your garden. Supplying even moisture helps prevent the disease. Mulching under tomato plants helps prevent early blight as it helps keep the soil evenly moist, reducing the likelihood of blossom-end rot.
GUESTS :
Alan Windham
UT Agricultural Extension Service
5201 Marchant Drive
Nashville, TN 37211-5201
Phone: 615-832-6802
Fax: 615-832-0043
Email: awindham@cru.gw.utk.edu
Website: http://www.utextension.utk.edu
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