The images at right can help you distinguish them. Draught stress and two other diseases look similar but unlikely to kill your plant. Make sure you know what late blight looks like. Is it Late Blight, Septoria Leaf Spot, or Drought Stress? When late blight is detected in your region, consider preventative spraying. Stay in touch with gardeners in your area so you'll know right away if late blight is near. Your local cooperative extension may be a good source of information, too.
Check the site regularly during the growing season. The USA Blight website tracks the occurence of late blight in real time. The disease spreads rapidly in cool wet weather, whereas dry weather tends to hold back the disease. Pay attention to the weather: Learn to recognize the weather conditions that foster the spread of late blight.Water early in the day so the foliage can dry before nightfall. Avoid overhead watering techniques (sprinklers). Avoid watering from above: Using soaker hoses or drip irrigation keep foliage dry, which makes it more difficult for late blight - and other diseases - to spread.Make use of trellises and supports that will keep the vines off the ground. Maximizing airflow and light around the plants will help them resist disease. Be sure to give plants plenty of space, based on recommendations for the variety. Give plants space: If possible, avoid planting tomatoes and potatoes where you had them last year.If you plant potatoes again, be sure to buy seed potatoes that are certified as disease-free. Be sure to destroy any volunteer potato plants that come up. However, infected potatoes (the other plant that gets late blight) can carry the disease through the winter. Prevent overwintering: Fortunately, the fungus that causes late blight needs living tissue to survive over the winter, so it can't overwinter on tomato cages or supports.You might also want to plant some varieties that mature early so if late blight does strike, you may still get a harvest. If you can, start your own plants from seed or buy transplants from a trusted local source. So, when it's time to decide which varieties to plant, keep an eye out for these. Choose the right variety: Though no tomato varieties are completely immune to late blight, plant breeders are now developing varieties that are resistant to infection by the late blight fungus.The key is to plant wisely, be prepared, be alert and learn to distinguish late blight from other common diseases. Unfortunately, there's no silver bullet for control. Remember that while these sprays can help reduce the likelihood of infection, you still need to monitor plants closely. When late blight is detected in your region, consider a weekly prevetative spray.Ĭornell plant pathologist Meg McGrath suggests using Actinovate (which contains the beneficial bacteria Streptomyces lydicus) as a preventative spray, and adding a copper-based product when late blight is present. The USA Blight web site tracks the occurance of late blight in real time.
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