Fighting Tomato Blight | Identification and Management

It’s another hot summer morning in the garden, and the battle against tomato blight is on. As the walnuts drop like missiles around me, I grab my coffee and pruning shears to tackle this pesky, soil-borne fungus that threatens my tomato plants. Blight starts with tiny spots on the lower leaves, turning them yellow, then brown, creeping its way up the plant, and eventually, it could kill it. I’ll show you how I identify blight, prune away affected branches, and share some hard-learned lessons on keeping it under control.

We’ll talk about prevention, like keeping leaves trimmed up from the ground and mulching well to stop that nasty fungus from splashing up. I also share my experience with powdery mildew on zucchinis and pumpkins—another garden menace! It’s all part of that end-of-summer scramble to keep things alive, healthy, and producing. So join me in the garden as I show you the reality of fighting blight, managing fungus, and squeezing the most out of the season’s harvest. Happy gardening!

🍅Early Signs and Prevention: Tomato blight starts with small spots on the leaves that turn yellow, then brown, progressing from the bottom of the plant upwards. Regularly prune the lower leaves after fruit sets to prevent soil-borne fungus from splashing onto the leaves.
🍅Managing Blight: Remove affected branches immediately and do not leave them in the garden. You can burn them or compost them if the compost gets hot enough. Keeping the garden well-mulched and ensuring good airflow through regular pruning also helps.
🍅Impact on Plants and Fruit: Blight will eventually kill the plant if not managed. Infected fruits show spots and may not ripen properly, leading to soft rot spots.
🍅Challenges with Eradication: Once blight is present, it's difficult to eradicate entirely. However, managing it can extend the growing season and reduce its impact on the harvest.
🍅Other Fungal Issues: Powdery mildew is another common issue affecting zucchini and pumpkin plants. It can be identified by white spots that can be wiped away. Managing these diseases requires consistent garden maintenance and monitoring.
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00:00 Introduction & Morning Garden Routine
01:00 Identifying Early Signs of Tomato Blight
03:40 How Blight Progresses on Tomato Plants
05:10 Pruning and Removing Blight Affected Leaves
06:30 Impact of Blight on Tomatoes and Harvest
07:55 Tips for Preventing and Managing Blight
09:50 Powdery Mildew on Zucchini and Pumpkins
12:00 Improving Airflow and Mulching Techniques
14:20 Observations on Blight Resistant Plants
15:40 Late Summer Garden Challenges & Harvesting
18:00 Closing Thoughts and Garden Maintenance Tips

[mariagarcia-pokl]

Hi Rachel. Your garden is amazing. The tomatoes will be fine. Did you ever use baking soda and water in a spray bottle to help with the bug problem. My advice is look through YouTube to find healthy ways to keep your plants happy and strong. I am trying to help. Love you. God Bless you Rachel. Hope you had a fun time with the grandkids. HUGS 🤗❤️
Mari'a. ❤️🤗❤️🤗🌺🌸🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅🍅

[galeharris]

I have had a lot of rain and heat this year in Vermont, and yep, I got tomato blight. I wasn't completely sure that's what it was at first, but then the spots started showing up on my tomatoes. Thank you for this, Rachel. I am sorry you're having to deal with this problem, too. My tomatoes were also too close together, so that's a good point about air flow, too!🌻

[CVoyage]

I believe blight, like most disease, is spread quickly by insects once it shows up. I think you're right in that keeping control of the surrounding plants and insects will definitely help. It's also seed-borne if you save seeds each year. Things to consider.

[ianjoe]

I did not know what this was and found out too late to save my tomato plants. Thank you for sharing this

[Jacksongirl]

I've had blight every year except this year, thank the Lord! We switched over to raised beds this year. I do mulch the soil. In the past what really works is hydrogen peroxide. 10 tablespoons to one gallon of water. Spray top and undersides of leaves. 24 hour test first on one plant. Do this early morning before the sun is too hot. I've had great success. Also you can wash your tomatoes after you pick from an affected plant. The spores are on the tomato too. This can help possibly save the tomato. I've also followed up with a baking soda spray a few days after peroxide treatment. I'll do a couple days of peroxide treatment and then the b.s. treatment. Just don't spray in the heat of the day or you'll burn your plants. This works for squash and pumpkins as well! I did have a fungus, powdery mildew on my pumpkins and I sprayed w/peroxide and its gone now with only two treatments. The Rustic Gardener, Gary, taught me this trick!

[bevfroese]

I got a powdery mildew spray recipe from a local organic farmer (TerraFlora organics) and it works!!! 1T Castile soap, 1T baking powder, 2T olive oil. Mix with 1 litre de chlorinated water. Shake well before use. Keep spraying new leaves as they appear. I have used it on zucchini and hollyhocks and it is like a miracle. The PMD is GONE!!

[FAIRGROUNDFUNFAIRS]

Goodmorning from UK love your channel we in the UK have also had tomato problems as well blight various diseases apparently its worldwide keep up the great streams

[smas]

So much contradictory info online. Rachel, you observe and learn from your own experiences. Garden is looking good. We cut the leaves that are no longer contributing to the plant and fruit growth. Excellent.

[barbaraslayden]

I always appreciate any information that help this Virginia girl. Love from Virginia ♥️

[lanabisson]

Rachel thank you for your videos. When my day has been hectic working in yard, or canning. I look forward to what you share. Ive learned so much from you as well as some others. You have inspired me to open a farm stand. Yours is cute.

[libbylauderdale]

Thanks Rachel for sharing your knowledge of plant disease with us. This video was very helpful.

[joelujan]

Very nice of u keeping up with the garden, there is time when u can slow the cause but when u can't u just accept the facts and let it take its toll and harvest what you can.

[jamesbrown]

Rachel you are very amazing gardener. You keep us so informed on what to look for in our gardens and how to correct the issue. There is a new bug that they are talking about on the news that are destroying fields and fields of crops in the mid west and are traveling south into North Carolina and parts of Tennessee. They are destroying, fruit trees, maples and tomatoes and cucumbers pumpkins and other fruits in the gardens. It’s called something spotted bug. And they say kill on sight don’t let them go. They are multiplying so fast.

[Junkinsally]

I’ve been able to control powderery mildew with copper fungicide spray. I’ve tried it on the tomatoes but didn’t seem to have an effect. I have tomatoes in two places and have noticed that the garden that gets sun earlier in the morning has less blight. Also, wash your tomato trellis down at the end of the season with bleach water to keep from carrying the blight over to the new plants next season.

[Gidget]

Wow! Thanks for this video! I thought it was from over watering? I have not even looked for the dots but I definitely will tomorrow! Thank you soooo much!!! 🤗🤗🤗

[margaret]

GOOD MORNING RACHEL HAPPY TUESDAY TO YOU SHOWERY DAY IN SOUTHERN IRELAND GREAT JOB DONE BY YOU GOOD HARVEST

[carmendoyle]

Oh no with your tomatoes I had this two years in a row my self I had taken all mine out gave up ! Glad u doing this video ❤

[kellymoody]

Perfect timing! I just did this to my tomatoes today so watching your video was reassuring that I was on the right track. ❤

[apace]

Hi😊 I think that big tomato might br Hillbilly. Love them with mozzella and. Olive oil . very nice salad. Last summer I had a terribke time with mildew . This summer its been the blight. Thank you for sharing your expirence❤

[MargieBenson-dvek]

That's good to know, thank you ❤