We treat the popular tomato disease quickly and easily: boric acid from late blight on tomatoes

Dark spots on the stem, leaves and fruits - all this signals a serious illness such as late blight... When the first signs are found, you need to act immediately so that the infection does not capture the entire greenhouse or a garden bed. Boric acid will help you with this. Read about how late blight appears, how boron is useful for plants and how to prepare a remedy for the disease yourself, read in this article.

The value of boron for plants

Boron is a unique element that a plant needs during its growth. According to the importance for garden crops, experts put boron in second place after zinc, and sometimes in first. The main problem with this element is that it is not transferred from old tissues to new ones, therefore it is necessary to ensure its constant supply to tomatoes.

Boron participates in the processes of photosynthesis and cell division, transportation of carbohydrates, cellular synthesis, activates enzymatic activity and has a beneficial effect on the exchange of proteins, nucleins and hydrocarbons.

The most important properties of boron for a plant:

• helps carry sugars from leaves to seeds;
• promotes the correct ovary of the fetus;
• participates in the formation of the fruit and has a positive effect on the quality of seeds;
• increases the root system;
• helps to absorb nitrogen;
• affects cell division, development and elongation.

Signs of lack of boron in tomatoes

Most often, the lack of boron in tomatoes is manifested in the inability to form fruits, which threatens with loss of yield. To help the plant, during flowering, the leaves should be sprayed with a solution of boric acid: 5-10 g of dry matter per 10 liters of water.

The main symptoms include the following:

1. Flowers fall without fruit formation.
2. The tops of the shoots are curled up.
3. The leaves, starting from the top of the plant, brighten and curl.
4. The veins darken.
5. Many stepchildren are formed, and the main stem begins to die off.
6. Leaves become brittle.

What is late blight

Late blight is a fungal disease. The causative agent is Phytophthora infestans. Translated from the Greek phyto - plant, phthora - damage. The name of the disease speaks for itself: late blight is able to completely destroy the plant, from the stem to the fruit.

The most favorable environment for the development of this disease is a greenhouse with high humidity and frequent temperature changes. Constant fogs on the land also have a negative impact.

The pathogen of late blight spreads with the help of zoosporangia. These are unicellular reproductive organs of this type of fungus, which form zoospores in themselves - mobile cells equipped with flagella. They have increased resistance to adverse conditions, therefore they spread quickly and easily, infecting everything around.

Important!Most gardeners agree that it is possible to finally get rid of late blight only by burning diseased plants.

Can the disease be treated with boron

Boron is successfully used for feeding tomatoes, for general strengthening of plants and for improving yields. At the same time, he has already managed to establish himself as a fighter against late blight.

Note! This fungus infects not only the plant, but also the soil, therefore, feeding the tomatoes with boron in the soil will be an excellent prevention against the development of the disease.

It is also recommended to spray the plants themselves with a boric acid solution.

Boric acid solution preparation

You will need water and boric acid powder. To prepare the solution, it is necessary to dilute the powder in water in a proportion of 5-10 g per 10 liters of water.

Boric acid dissolves very poorly, so first it is worth diluting it in a small amount of hot water (but not boiling water, the optimum temperature is 50 degrees) and pouring it into a bucket. Mix everything. A solution of boric acid from late blight on tomatoes is ready.

Processing methods

Depending on which part of the plant needs to be processed, there are three main ways to combat late blight.

Seed soaking

To prepare for planting, the seeds are soaked in the solution for 24 hours. 0.2 g of acid is diluted in 1 liter of water. To prevent the seeds from floating, they should be wrapped in a gauze bag before soaking. The result of this preparation is to improve germination and prevent late blight..

Spraying tomatoes

Most often, the fungus infects mature adult plants. Processing tomatoes with boric acid solution is the cheapest and most effective method of obtaining a healthy crop.

The solution should be sprayed on all green parts of the plant. A week before the procedure, it is recommended to spray the tomatoes with a weak solution potassium permanganate... You can fix the result by processing with a weak solution. iodine one week after using boric acid.

Foliar dressing

For this method, a solution of 10 g per 10 l of water is used. In this case, it is important to water the plant before feeding, as boric acid can burn the roots. Top dressing is carried out by spraying the soil three times a year.

Fight against late blight in the greenhouse and open field

The greenhouse has a very favorable environment for the onset of disease. Warm and humid air, closed space - all this only contributes to the development of phytophthora zoosporangia. Also, spores can be found on the walls of the greenhouse. Therefore, in addition to spraying tomatoes and disinfecting the soil with boric acid, it is worth treating the inner walls and paths with a solution.

You should not collect seeds for future sowing from a greenhouse with diseased plants (even from the remaining healthy tomatoes).

Spray preferably once a week for a month or two. This will stop the development of the disease and strengthen the tomatoes.

On the street, all operations to combat late blight are recommended to be done after rain. Firstly, it will protect the plant roots from burns. Secondly, it is unlikely that it will rain again soon, which means that boric acid on the leaves will last longer.

Both in the greenhouse and in the open field should be limited watering tomatoesso as not to create an additional favorable microclimate for the development of the fungus.

Processing time for tomatoes

There are three stages of the planned processing of tomatoes with boric acid:

1. Before flowering, when the buds are just starting to form.
2. In the midst of flowering.
3. At the beginning of fruiting, when the fruits acquire their characteristic color.

Also, spraying must be done as needed, if late blight nevertheless appears.

Major mistakes

Most often, mistakes are made during processing, as well as during preventive and additional measures and solution preparation:

1. There is no need to water the plants during the highest disease activity - this will only aggravate the situation. In the open field, you can build a canopy.
2. You should not use several other means in parallel with boric acid. They can be incompatible, and the fruits are likely to become toxic due to the large amount of chemicals.
3. It is important to completely dissolve the powder in water, otherwise you risk burning the plant.

Reviews of gardeners

Due to its effectiveness, boric acid is loved by many gardeners. And even a beginner is capable of preparing such a tool - no special tools and knowledge are required. Gardeners speak very positively about this tool. Here are some of the reviews.

Maria, Perm: “Boric acid is a simple and affordable fertilizer for every gardener. If applied correctly on tomato beds, it will only benefit the plants. For such care they will surely thank you with a generous harvest. "

Vladimir, Tver: “Boric acid is always available to me. I keep it for my garden and vegetable garden. I process not only tomatoes, but also other vegetables and trees. The result is immediately noticeable: the plants improve their appearance, flowering and fruiting. I think boric acid is an extremely useful fertilizer. "

Valery, Vologda: “I am an experienced vegetable grower and have long noticed the peculiarities of the state of tomatoes, depending on the content of elements in the soil. As soon as I see the characteristic signs of boron deficiency, I immediately try to treat the plants with boric acid. I use the fertilizer in powder, I dilute it strictly in the concentration indicated in the instructions. It is important. If you take less - the desired effect will not be, if more - you can burn the leaves and roots of plants. With the correct use of boric acid, tomatoes begin to bloom vigorously, the ovary does not fall off, the fruits are healthy, the tomatoes themselves also look normal.

Let's sum up

Boric acid is a cheap and effective remedy for late blight on tomatoes, which does not require much effort to prepare and use. The main thing in the fight against the disease is prevention. The use of a boric acid solution in the beds will prevent a dangerous fungus from forming, and will also improve the condition of the tomatoes and the quality of the crop.