Late Blight on Tomatoes

Late Blight or Phytophthra infestans is best known for the devasting disease associated with the Irish Potato famine of the 1840′ and 50’s. UMASS sent out a tomato transplant alert last week regarding the presence of this fungal disease in plants sold in the northeast this year. Our wet weather conditions are perfect for late blight, which creates brown or blackened areas on stems with rings of white mold. Information from Cornell linked here. An organic treatment is to spray the plant with compost tea prior to symptoms showing. If symptoms appear, remove and discard the plants, do not compost the plants.
-Lauren Greenhow, General Manager, GreenHow, Inc.
www.GreenHow.com. Effective Organic & Low Impact Solutions, Lawn Care, Pest Control & Termite Control in Newton and Metro Boston.