#Late blight of tomato how to

Often the fruit will rot completely before it even gets a chance to ripen. However, since blight often infects the crop before the fruits get a chance to start ripening, the ripening is halted or inhibited. Though the disease isn’t harmful to humans, the idea of having pathogens going inside your body can be disturbing to many. Cut out any ingected part and wash the remaining fruit.īe sure to wash the fruit properly to get rid of any spores before you consume it. If the tomatoes are close to ripening harvest them promptly. Though late blight wreaks havoc on plants, you’ll be relieved to know that it doesn’t affect humans.

#Late blight of tomato how to

See also How To Keep Slugs Away From Vegetable Garden Are Blight Infected Tomatoes Safe For Eating? When the humidity is high, you may also spot a thin film of powdery white fungal growth on the infected stems, leaves and fruit. The spots are typically firm, but may also turn mushy in some cases. The irregular brown spots on the fruit turn darker, larger and leathery with time until the fruit rots completely. Infected tomato fruits are first identified by black or brown lesions on the stem end. When the weather is cool and wet, the entire crop will appear brown and wilted. It can quickly spread through the field, causing brown, dry patches of stems and foliage on the surrounding plants. Eventually, large patches of foliage turn brown and dry. They progress into large brown blotches with grayish edges. Late blight typically occurs late in the season, initially appearing as water-soaked spots on the older leaves and stems of the tomato plant. Late blight in potato caused Irish potato famine back in the 1840s – that’s how destructive the disease can be. Blight can cause a complete crop failure if not caught in time. Blight dosent just cause a limited amount of damage or reduce yield.

The key to treating this is to catch it early. The spores spread quickly under favorable conditions, posing a major threat, not just for home gardeners but for commercial growers as well. Phytophthora is a Latin word that means ‘plant destroyer’. Late blight is caused by a fungus-like pathogen called Phytophthora infestans. Can you eat tomatoes affected by blight? Let’s find out more. At this point, you may wonder if you could salvage some tomatoes and bring them to use. The disease acts fast to kill off the foliage and rot fruits before you can pick those desirable, unblemished tomatoes. Late blight is a devastating disease that affects potatoes and tomatoes.