Q&A – Can you treat the soil to kill tomato fungus?
Question:
Can you treat the soil to kill tomato fungus?
Answer:
UT Extension Agent Lee Sammons, III says the best thing to do is remove the plants affected by the fungus from that part of the garden. In this case, it is tomatoes. Then practice crop rotation. This will keep the fungus from building up in the soil. The fungus is in the soil but affects the plants when it splashes up on the lower leaves. To reduce the amount of fungus in the soil make sure you remove all the leaves and other parts of the affected plant and throw them away, not in the compost pile. Mulching can reduce the splashing on the lower leaves. If you want to try to kill the fungus you can put down a sheet of plastic in the heat of the summer for several weeks. The heat will kill the fungus.
Related Resources:
Foliar Diseases of Tomato
Recognizing Tomato Problems
Can you treat the soil to kill tomato fungus?
Answer:
UT Extension Agent Lee Sammons, III says the best thing to do is remove the plants affected by the fungus from that part of the garden. In this case, it is tomatoes. Then practice crop rotation. This will keep the fungus from building up in the soil. The fungus is in the soil but affects the plants when it splashes up on the lower leaves. To reduce the amount of fungus in the soil make sure you remove all the leaves and other parts of the affected plant and throw them away, not in the compost pile. Mulching can reduce the splashing on the lower leaves. If you want to try to kill the fungus you can put down a sheet of plastic in the heat of the summer for several weeks. The heat will kill the fungus.
Related Resources:
Foliar Diseases of Tomato
Recognizing Tomato Problems