Many summer residents begin to fight late blight only when brown spots already appear on the leaves. But by this moment the disease often has time to spread over the entire bush. It is much more reasonable to protect the tomatoes in advance — still before the appearance of the first signs of the disease.

For preventive treatment a simple solution based on whey and iodine suits excellently. It helps create on the leaves a protective layer that hinders the development of fungal infections, and iodine exerts an additional disinfecting action.

How to prepare the solution

For 10 liters of water one will need:

• 1 liter of whey;
• 10–15 drops of iodine.

Mix the solution well and pour it into a sprayer.

How to correctly treat the tomatoes

Spray the bushes completely, paying special attention to the lower side of the leaves — exactly there fungal diseases most often begin to develop. Do not forget to treat the stems and the green fruits.

It is best to carry out the treatment in the evening or in cloudy weather so that the drops do not cause burns on the leaves. If after the procedure a strong rain has passed, it is desirable to repeat the spraying.

How often to use

For prevention it is enough to carry out the treatment once every 7–10 days. It is especially important not to skip it in the period of cool nights, abundant dew and prolonged rains — exactly such conditions are considered the most favourable for the development of late blight.

Do not wait until the disease makes itself known. Several minutes spent on prevention will help keep the bushes healthy, and the harvest rich and of high quality until the end of the season.

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