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The Battle of the Blight #744543

Asked April 15, 2021, 3:37 PM EDT

Hello, Every year I battle with blight on my tomato plants and I always lose. This year, it looks like my seedlings have it - pics attached. The bottom leave are turning yellow and falling off. They seeds were started in new pots and soil. I brought them outside on the deck 2 weeks ago to move them into the bigger peat pots and used new soil. It was after that the blight started. Could having them on the deck for 30 minutes cause this? What else could be causing it? More importantly, what can I do about it now? I hope you can help. Thanks!

Anoka County Minnesota

Expert Response

Thank you for writing.  This is such a common problem.

Blight lives in the soil and bounces on to low leaves-- from there the rest of the plant gets infected.

https://extension.umn.edu/diseases/early-blight-tomato#:~:text=Early%20blight%20is%20one%20of,in%20sunscald%20on%20the%20fruit 

Here is my system. Buy blight resistant tomatoes

Keep the bases of the plants mulched to decrease splash up. 

Water from below, not by a sprinkler. Rain happens, that is OK.

As my plants grow, I prune the lower leaves at the stem so that no leaf gets to the ground like yours did.  My lowest leaf tips are six inches off the ground. Dont let the plants flop to the soil.

Clean your cutting tools between plants (see below). Aggressive cut diseased leaves and branches away.

Your plants are not doing well.  I would toss them and the soil and start over.  It is only Mid April.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for the quick response. I will take your advice and start over. 

Is it unusual that this is happening to my seedlings that I started indoors and have only had contact with new soil fresh out of the bag? I guess that when I put them into the bigger pots I got the new soil all over them but I didn't think it would hurt since it was straight out of newly opened bag.

From: Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>>
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2021 2:48 PM
To: liz coachandmentor.net <<personal data hidden>>
Subject: Re: The Battle of the Blight (#0014474)
 
The Question Asker Replied April 15, 2021, 3:59 PM EDT

Blight is common. It could have come from your hands touching other pots or soil, a trowel, etc

It early.  You will have lots of tomatoes this year.  Be sure to get a mix of early and late fruiting plants to extend your season.

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