But, no matter how often we tend to our plants, sometimes a disease affects our garden and the tomato plants suffer. These diseases can affect everyone from the gardener with just one patio tomato to the farmer with an acre-sized plot. Read on for a listing of the 10 most common diseases that affect tomato plants plus tips to cure and prevent infection.
Prevention
Many diseases can be prevented with the right planting methods and good practices:
Plant tomatoes far enough apart to provide good air circulation and do not water overhead.Destroy any infected plants at the end of the growing season. Do not compost these plants as they can re-infest your garden next year. Sanitize your tools between uses.
Common Tomato Diseases
If a blight occurs in your garden, do not plant any other tomatoes or nightshade family members in that area for at least one year.
Fungicide Use
If you choose to use a fungicide spray on your ailing plants, there are safe-to-use products on the market for home use, many of which are organic. Common fungicides include mancozeb, chlorothalonil, potassium bicarbonate, neem oil and copper based products. Always consult the label carefully for instructions on rate and method of application. For an easy, affordable and effective treatment, try a DIY homemade fungicide using ingredients you may already have on hand including baking soda, dishwashing soap and cooking oils.
Disease Resistant Varieties
Another option to control these common diseases is to grow hybrids that are disease resistant. If you have had disease issues in your garden in the past years, select a variety that is resistant to that particular disease. You can find a listing of codes on the back of the plant label. For example, the letter V represents Verticillium wilt resistance while EB is resistant to early blight.
