NEWARK, DE Tomatoes are
close to the heart of most gar
deners. They’re usually easy to
grow, providing satisfaction for
young and old alike. But how
frustrating to look at a juicy red
tomato only to find that the
has rotted, or to watch the big'
green vines slowly wither away to.
nothing just as their first fruits
begin to mature.
With a little extra care, home
gardeners can prevent most
tomato problems, says Delaware
State College extension agent
Glenn Layton. He offers the
following practical advice for
recognizing and correcting or
better yet, preventing some of
the more common problems.
Blossom Drop Early season
blossoms sometimes fall off as a
result of cool night temperatures
(below 55 degrees F). During
summer months, some blossom
drop may also occur when tem
peratures exceed 75 degrees.
Unfortunately, says Layton,
there’s little one can do about the
temperature except plant at the
proper time.
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Expert tells how
Blossom End Rot This con
dition, which affects both green
and ripe tomatoes, is prevalent on
the bottom or blossom end where it
appears as a large dry, darkened
area. It’s usually more of a
problem on the earliest fruits of the
season and generally results from
moisture stress caused by hot, dry
summer weather while the plant is
actively growing.
Home gardeners can prevent
blossom end rot by keeping their
plants evenly moist, the extension
agent says. Mulching with plastic,
straw, bark, dry grass clippings or
newspaper will also aid in
prevention.
Cracking Following a dry
spell, warm rainy days may make
the tomatoes crack if they expand
too fast as they take on more
water.
Early Blight and Light Blight
Both these diseases are caused by
fungi which release wind-blown
spores. They can infect plants
rapidly when conditions are right
for their development.
Early blight (also called target
spot) first appears as small,
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to stop problems with tomatoes
irregular, dark brown spots on the
leaves. These enlarge into circular
spots with target-like markings.
Lower leaves are attacked first.
The leaf tissue around the spots
turns yellow, an 9 when the disease
is severe, leaves fall off. If not
controlled in the leaf stage, stems
and fruit may also be infected.
Fruits will develop dark leathery
spots near the stem end. Heavy
dew or rain favor early blight.
Plants already in poor vigor are
most susceptible.
Plants infected with late blight
first develop greenish-black;
water-soaked blotches on the
leaves. Under moist conditions,
these blotches enlarge rapidly. A
white, fuzzy fungus growth may
also be seen on die undersides of
leaves. Infected plants eventually
wither and die. Elongated black
cankers develop on the stem and
leaf stalks. Water-soaked spots
develop on fruit, enlarging rapidly
and turning a blotchy greenish
brown. A whitish mold may cover
the infected tissue during moist
weather. Late blight is favored by
rainy, foggy weather, Layton says.
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To prevent these diseases, plant To prevent losses from soil rot,
resistant, adapted varieties. Use grow plants in well-drained soil,
only disease-free transplants. And using a mulch or sinking plants to
follow a regular fungicide spray keep fruit from touching the
schedule. ground. If necessary, follow a
2, 4-D Injury Tomatoes are regular spray schedule,
exremely sensitive to 2,4-D weed Sunscale This problem occurs
killer, Fumes and spray drift may during hot, dry weather, especially
injure plants a half mile or more on staked tomatoes. Large, whitish
away. Symptoms include curled, 0 r tan, slightly sunken areas ap
twisted and distorted leaves and pear on the fruit. Mold often
stems. Leaf margins become wavy ' develops on the surface of affected
and frilled. Some blossoms drop areas and the entire fruit may
without setting fruit. Tomato fruits later rot.
may crack open or develop cat To prevent sunscald, water and
face —severe cracking or scarring fertilize plants to keep them
on the blossom end. (Cool weather vigorous. Handle fruit carefully,
is also believed to contribute to cat wilt Diseases These diseases
face on tomatoes). are caused primarily by two soil-
To prevent herbicide injury, borne fungi, Fusarium and Ver
don’t use 2,4-D near the garden ticillium, which invade plant*
area, or spray on windy days, thorugh the root system.
Always use a separate sprayer for First symptoms are the
fungicides and insecticides than yellowing and death of leaves at
that used for weed killers. the bottom of the plant. Then
Soil Hot This condition is leaves highe^^|^H|HH|
caused by fungi which are dull
widespread and commonly present Fusarium
in the soil. It frequently occurs likely
when fruits lie on the ground, weather,
especially when rain or irrigation first fruit^^^^^^^^^^^H
water repeatedly splashes soil on gradually
wilts
Under these conditions, coUapsing.^^^^^^^^^^H
tomatoes develop large, rotten open, there^^^^^^^^^H
spots which are sometimes sunken streaks
and may have alternating bands of The only
light and dark brown color. As the is to
spots enlarge, they frequently varieties,
crack and break open. build-up
wise to
of
to
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helpful fa
tomato (U
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