Home Remedies for Tomato Blight

A tomato plant is a beautiful addition to the home garden as it is quite easy to grow, but its beauty can get affected due to many problems. The vibrant red fruits of a tomato plant are enjoyed by many kinds of insects, pests and other microorganisms like fungus. There are some home remedies which can cure such diseases in tomato plant and can produce beautiful and healthy berry vines.

Tomato blight is a disease that affect leaves, stems and even fruits of a tomato plant. One form of blight is early blight of tomato blight which is caused by a fungus Alternaria solani. This fungus will remain in the soil and infect the plants. Some common symptoms of early blight of tomato include crown rot, damping off, fruit rot and leaf blight. Late blight of tomato is caused by a fungus Phytophthora infestans and it thrives in cool and wet conditions. Common symptoms of late blight include leaf lesions in olive green to black in color and appear oily, producing fuzzy spores. These lesions soon develops into concentric circles of chocolate brown color.

Symptoms of Tomato Blight

You will observe the following symptoms in tomato plants in case of its blight:

• Black or brown spots in the lower leaves of the plant.
• Discolorations in the form of concentric circles shows tomato blight.
• Blight usually begins at the base of plant and make its way to the top of the plant, thus, affecting the harvest.

Natural Remedies for Tomato Blight

The following home remedies can be used to tackle tomato blight:

Baking soda: It has fungicidal properties, thus, help stop spreading of fungus in early and late blight. To use this remedy, mix 1 tbsp of baking soda with one quart of warm water and add 2 ½ tbsp of vegetable oil or liquid dish soap. This mixture should be sprayed with a spray bottle over entire tomato plants. This mixture should be applied out of direct sunlight to avoid burning of plants. Baking soda should be sprayed in prescribed quantity as too much of it can harm plants.

Compost tea: This remedy also helps fight both early and late blight in tomato. Take one part of well aged compost, usually four months old with 6 to 8 parts of water and mix well in a covered container. Keep this container outside in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F for nearly 5 days. Keep stirring tea everyday and on the fifth day, sieve tea through a cheesecloth or a sieve. Apply this strained tea on the plant with a spray bottle. If you are going to collect the harvest in two to three weeks, then this tea spray should be avoided.

Aspirin fungal spray: Aspirin is an over the counter medicine and it is used to counter blight in tomatoes as it is effective over powdery mildew. Take 325 g of uncoated aspirin tablets with one quart of water in a squirt bottle or a garden sprayer and apply on entire tomato plants. If you still observe powdery mildew after a week, then apply this solution again. Some studies conducted in the University of Rhode Island, reveal that tomatoes which were sprayed with aspirin, yielded higher crop as compared to those sprayed with commercial fertilizer.

Watering Practices: One should not water the tomato plant from top. Wet foliage attracts and helps in the spread of fungal pathogens. Water at the base of the plant. Do it early in the morning, as the leaves will dry during the day.

Proper Planting and Spacing: Only plant tomatoes in soil that is well drained and has good air circulation. Five proper spaces between the plants. Proper spacing allows better airflow and reduces humidity, the primary cause of fungal growth and spread.

These are some of the effective remedies for tomato blight. Timely observation of blight in tomato and using a suitable remedy can protect your harvest from damage.