Early blight is a common disease that affects many crops like tomatoes, and peppers. It can also affect other crops like peas in certain conditions. For organic it is important to understand how to treat and manage early blight organically. This short article will guide you on how to recognize and treat this disease in organically
What is Early Blight?
This is a common fungal disease caused by fungus can occur at any time and is common during wet, humid, high temperatures. It is commonly found on tomatoes and potato plants.
The fungus appears on the lower side of the old leaves as tiny brownish spots with ring patterns around it. The disease matures quickly with the passing of days if not treated quickly. It then starts to spread outward causing the whole leaf to wither and eventually to die.
How can you treat Early Blight organically?
The organic methods of treating early blight involve first preventing the disease. If, for some reason, the disease attacks your tomatoes, then natural remedies are necessary. The following are the treatment and preventive measures of early blight.
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1. Choose resistant varieties to grow.
Some tomato varieties are bred for resistance to early blight. No variety may be 100% immune to dsease but the susceptibility to disease can surely be reduced by the choice of the right variety
2. Pruning frequently.
One of the very common causes of fungal infections in tomatoes is poor air circulation. Removing or pruning excess foliage helps to ensure that better air circulation is enhanced. This reduces the risk for the disease.
3. Cleaning your garden
Make sure to remove any debris from the ground. Cleaning the debris ensures that any infection on the fallen leaves is taken out of the garden. This prevents any further spread of the disease.
4. Use drip irrigation to keep the leaves dry.
Unlike overhead irrigation, drip irrigation waters at the base of the plant. This prevents wetting the leaves which is a common cause of disease.
5. Spray with copper Fungicides.
Copper is a natural fungicide that can be used to control many fungal infections in tomatoes including early blight. To ensure that copper does not accumulate in the soil, keep your soil covered with mulch.
Conclusion
By using the above-mentioned organic methods, you can help to prevent and treat early blight in a sustainable and healthy manner. You may need to combine the above-mentioned methods in controlling and treating early blight.
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