home and garden pest control

 better home and garden pest control

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes, popular garden crops of the Solanaceae family, are susceptible to many diseases that can reduce or completely destroy the harvest. Those diseases damage some fruits and others destroy the leaves. In all cases, plant health and vigor are negatively affected.

Listed below are the symptoms of the most common tomato, pepper, eggplant, and potato diseases and how to control them. Unless otherwise noted, GardenTech® Daconil® fungicide concentrate, chlorothalonil, is an active ingredient that fights against active fungal infections and can be used to effectively treat the problem.

Disease: Anthracnose

Affected vegetable plants: Eggplant, pepper, and tomato

Symptoms: Anthracnose, fungal damage, appearing in the form of dark, sunken sores on the ripening fruit.1 Whole fruit will eventually rot prematurely on the vine. This condition is more common in areas such as South America that often experience high humidity.

Control: Spores from anthracnose live in the soil, so avoid over-watering as this will cause the spores to splash on the plant and infect it. Prevent infection by making sure healthy fruits do not touch the soil. In affected plants, the spores accumulate in the ripening of the fruit, so harvest the fruit as soon as it is ready to eat, then discard the rotten fruit to prevent it from falling to the ground. Every three years, plant non-solanaceous vegetable crops in the planting bed for one season.

Disease: Blight (early)

Affected vegetable plants: eggplant, pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes

Symptoms: Infection of another fungal early blight appears as rounded brown spots on leaves and stems. The spots enlarge, forming concentrated rings similar to the targets, eventually taking up leaves and leading to decay. In severe cases, the plant loses all of its leaves and dies

Control: Early blight spores live in the soil, so avoid over-irrigation to prevent the affected dirt foliage from splashing. Space plants are at least 12 inches apart to allow adequate air circulation as the fly thrives in humid, ventilated areas. To prevent the spread of the disease, immediately remove all affected plants.

Disease: Blight (late)

Affected vegetable plants: eggplant, pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes

Damage: The fungus that causes late blight is Phytophthora instance, which means "herbicide" in Latin. This deadly disease led to the Irish potato famine in the 1840s. The damage caused by this plant extinction appears as brown and black sores on the leaves, which quickly overgrow. Plant.

 Control:  Late blight is an airborne fungal infection, so remove and remove infected plants as soon as possible to prevent the spread of the disease. Maintain the growing area without weeds. Also, avoid over-irrigation to prevent spraying on the affected soil leaves.

Disease: Fusarium wilt

Affected vegetable plants: eggplant, pepper, potatoes, and tomatoes

Symptoms: Tomato and potato plants affected by Fusarium disease first cause leaf fall, followed by yellowing, withering, and eventually leaf death. Affected pepper plants first decompose at the base of the stem, followed by the lower leaves, and soon the whole plant withers. Eggplant damage appears to wither from the lower leaves to the upper leaves, followed by vegetative decline.

Control: There is no cure for Fusarium wilt, so the best way for tomato growers to control the disease is to plant disease-resistant tomato varieties. Resistant plants carry an F (for Fusarium) label and seed packages. Unfortunately, potato, eggplant, and pepper plants are not immune varieties. Once the plants are first diagnosed with the disease, remove them and discard them. If Fusarium wilt continues to be a problem after the season in a particular area of ​​the garden, avoid planting plants from the Solanaceae family for at least four years. Fusarium wilt can be controlled by solarizing the soil for one season. , Covering the soil with a clear plastic tarpaulin for 4 to 6 weeks during the hottest time of the year. Heat kills pathogens in 12 to 18 inches of soil. As cucumber beetles spread the disease, 9 will control them with Amtro Quick Kill ® External Pesticide (RDS).

Disease: Gray mold

Affected vegetable plant S: eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes

Symptoms: Gray mold is a fungal condition that initially appears as a brown or gray circular spots on leaves, stems, flowers, and fruits. Over time, the dots develop a vague axis. When the flowers appear, they are covered with brown spots.10

Control: Grow in the shade of gray mold, so plant tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant in full sun. The disease spreads rapidly in poorly ventilated growing conditions, so leave at least 12 inches of space between plants to provide good air circulation. Prevent the spread of the disease by removing infected plants as soon as the disease is diagnosed. Also, remove and discard any leaves and buds that have fallen to the ground. Gray mold spores live in the soil, so avoid over-watering, which will spread the disease by scattering the plants in the soil.

Disease: Septoria leaf spot

Symptoms: Septoria leaf spot is a fungal disease that starts with the yellowing of the lower leaves and forms rounded spots with dark edges and gray centers. The dots eventually reach an eighth inch in diameter and the borders turn yellow. Black dots may form in the center of the dots. In severe cases, the leaves fall off, first at the base of the plant and then upwards. At that time, without leaf protection, the fruit is in danger of turning into the sunlight.

Control: Many weeds have septoria leaf spots, so weed your garden regularly. Avoid over-watering as this will spread the disease by scattering the plants in the soil. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants can be prevented by removing and disposing of them immediately after fruiting and by planting crops in a different part of the garden each year.

Disease: Verticillium wilt

Vegetable plants are affected: eggplant, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes

Symptoms: Symptoms of Verticillium bowel usually do not appear until the plant develops a heavy crop or the weather dries up. The lower leaves are pale, the edges of the leaves turn brown, and the plant eventually fades. Sometimes the symptoms appear only on one side of the plant. Affected plants usually survive, but produce low yields and stunt growth.

Prevention: There is no cure for Verticillium bow, so the best way to control the disease is to plant disease-resistant tomato varieties. Resistant plants carry V (for Verticillium) on labels and seed packages. Unfortunately, Verticillium wilt-resistant varieties are not available for potato, eggplant, and pepper plants. To control the spread of the disease by removing the affected plants when withered is detected. If the disease continues to be a problem in a particular area of ​​your garden season after the season, avoid planting any plants of the Solanaceae family in the area for at least four years, or solarize the soil during one planting season.