Late blight is capable of turning strong tomato bushes into a sad sight in a few days. First brown spots appear on the leaves, then the disease passes to the fruits, and the harvest begins to spoil right on the bushes. If you act in time, the spread of the disease can be significantly slowed even with simple folk remedies.

Why late blight appears

Most often the disease develops when during the day there is heat, and the nights become cool. Dew, prolonged rains, dense plantings and poor ventilation create ideal conditions for the fungus.

If you notice the first signs, do not postpone the treatment.

Garlic infusion

Chop about 200 g of garlic together with the scapes or leaves, pour 10 liters of water and leave for a day. After straining spray the bushes completely, paying attention to the underside of the leaves.

Such an infusion is used every 5–7 days.

Whey solution

Milk whey forms a thin protective film on the leaves that hinders the development of the disease.

Mix:

1 liter of whey; 9 liters of water.

Treat the tomatoes in the evening or in cloudy weather.

Wood ash infusion

Ash helps strengthen the plants and makes the conditions less favourable for the development of late blight.

For 10 liters of water take about 2 cups of sifted ash, mix well and let it infuse for several hours. Then strain and spray the bushes.

Baking soda solution

For prevention one can prepare a simple composition:

1 tablespoon of baking soda; 10 liters of water; a little liquid soap for better adhesion.

With such a solution the leaves are sprayed once a week.

What else must necessarily be done

Even the best folk remedies will not help if favourable conditions for the disease are left.

• Remove the lower leaves that touch the ground.
• Do not water the tomatoes over the leaves.
• In the morning be sure to ventilate the greenhouse.
• Immediately remove fruits with signs of disease and take them out of the plot.
• Do not thicken the plantings — air must freely pass between the bushes.

It is important to remember

Folk remedies work best as prevention or at the first signs of the disease. If a large part of the bush is already affected, it will be very difficult to save the plant. Therefore regular examination of the tomatoes and timely treatment will help preserve the harvest until the very end of the season.

And with what methods do you protect tomatoes from late blight?

This material was prepared by the editorial team using artificial intelligence tools. All information has been verified and edited before publication.