Spots are brown and round and may develop concentric rings. Small dark spots may appear on older leaves near the soil.Watch for these signs when walking in your garden: The result is struggling or even dead plants, and a reduced harvest.Įarly blight begins on lower, older leaves in midsummer when temperatures warm.
The Alternaria fungus also releases phytotoxins, toxic chemicals to the host plant-your tomato or potato. The spores can overwinter in the soil and in contaminated plant material.Įarly blight can cause cankers that girdle the plant. In other words, warm, humid summers with evening thunderstorms, like many of us experience in June, July, and August. High humidity levels, rain, and wind contribute to spreading Alternaria spores. Lower leaves commonly become infected when in contact with contaminated soil or when soil is splashed onto the leaves by rain or irrigation. If you are curious about the details of this fungus’ life cycle, check this summary from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.Īlternaria spores can be spread by wind, people and animals, and by contaminated tools. These spores are then ready to infect more areas of your plant or drift to an adjacent victim. Spores can be produced as quickly as 3-5 days after spots first appear. How Does Early Blight Spread?ĭuring wet or humid conditions, like warm days with significant rainfall or morning dew, the fungus that causes early blight can replicate rapidly. Two different species but the same genus. It is often confused with Septoria leaf spot, Verticillium and Fusarium wilts, and bacterial leaf spot.Įarly blight tomato infection is caused by the fungus Alternaria tomatophila and Alternaria solani. This fungus first attacks the lower leaves of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, etc., and moves up the plant. It also affects plants like peppers, potatoes, eggplants, and other members of the nightshade family. What Is Early Blight?Įarly blight is a fungal pathogen of tomatoes.
#Early blight resistant tomato varieties how to
Here’s how to watch for signs of early blight and keep it in check.
If left unchecked, it can destroy your tomato plants and severely hamper your harvest. Plants may show symptoms of disease on foliage, but crop remains unaffected.Early blight of tomatoes is a common issue that many tomato gardeners face. Here’s some varieties to try! Click the images to find out more… CRIMSON CRUSHĬordon variety, ideal outdoors. Transfer to growing bags or 30cm (12in) pots if growing indoors, or harden off before planting outdoors in late May. Prick out seedlings individually into (7.5cm) 3in pots, transferring into a 13.5cm (5in) pot as they develop. Cover seeds, water in and germinate at a temperature of 21C (70F) lowering to a growing temperature of 18C (65F). Sow seeds either in modules, 2 per unit or in a 7cm (21/2in) pot in a general-purpose compost. Spread by wind currents, blight spores can be carried on hands and equipment, so hygiene is key and growing resistant varieties boosts success. While early blight in June can be problematic, late blight in July and August quickly shrivels leaves and damages fruit. You can grow these varieties indoors too, although glasshouses offer protection from blight spores landing on foliage. Recent years has seen a few F1 resistant varieties introduced, with two new ones launched this year, ‘Summerlast’, a dwarf patio variety, and ‘Crimson Blush’, a beefsteak variety. While there’s a wealth of tomato varieties available there are far fewer resistant to blight disease, the scourge of gardeners trying to grow tomatoes outdoors. Nothing beats a home-grown, sun-ripened tomato, so to pick those luscious red fruit as early start sowing seed under glass now to April.
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