#downy mildew #tomato #tomatoes
Today I'm talking to you about the problem that affects tomato seedlings, I'm talking to you about Peronospora, and in particular I'm telling you how to prevent and combat it.
In fact, we must focus on preventing this disease rather than treating it if we really want to achieve good results.
Tomato downy mildew, also known as Phytophthora Infestans, is a fungal disease that affects not only the leaves, but also the stems, flowers and fruits of tomato plants and can cause very significant damage, reducing the yield and quality of the crop. .
The symptoms on the infected leaves show yellow or brown spots that quickly necrotise, oily spots may appear on the peeled fruits and dark ones on the ripe fruits, compromising their quality and shelf life.
The objective is precisely to create unfavorable conditions for the development of the fungus, and it is always necessary to keep the right distance between the tomato plants to favor the circulation of air and light and
remove diseased leaves immediately to prevent the spread of the disease. Perform two simple operations:
- in small vegetable gardens you can eliminate the lower leaves that touch the ground since the downy mildew spores can be present in the earth and transfer to the plant;
- in large fields and small vegetable gardens, 7-10 days after transplanting, treat the plants with a solution based on copper and sulfur (you can use the Zoram product which is already formulated) and add zeolite to make the treatment more persistent on the leaves.
Repeat the treatment after at least 15-20 days, but avoid overdoing it to avoid excessive accumulation of copper in the soil.
To limit the use of copper I recommend treating with potassium bicarbonate every 7-10 days.
In conclusion, guys, when it comes to fighting tomato blight, the key word is "prevention". Rather than waiting for the fungus to strike and then running for cover, it is better to take precautions from the start.
So, remember to maintain the right distance between your tomato plants (planting layout) to circulate that fresh air and prevent the fungus from taking hold and after transplanting, give yours treatment with a solution based on copper and sulfur with the addition of zeolite.... after which, to avoid loading the soil too much with copper, opt for potassium bicarbonate.
With a little care and a solid preventative strategy, we can keep late blight at bay and enjoy a season of healthy, flavorful tomatoes!
00:00 General information
01:17 Recognition
04:08 When you intervene with the treatment
04:58 Copper+Zeolite treatment
05:53 Bicarbonate treatment