Why do tomatoes turn black in the garden?
Why do tomatoes turn black?
An excellent and rich harvest for the summer resident is a great success. However, each crop, in particular tomatoes, is susceptible to various diseases and the influence of external factors.
Why do tomatoes turn black
Every summer resident who grows tomatoes in the garden and in the greenhouse may encounter blackening fruits during the ripening season. Typically, tomatoes turn black from July to August. Usually rotting tomatoes appear in August, and the first sign of the disease is dry and brown leaves, after the disease passes to the fruit. What are the causes of decay? Why do tomatoes turn black?
Causes.
Today there are many reasons for blackening tomatoes, but the most common are:
A disease caused by a fungus. The first sign of late blight is a gray bloom on the leaves. At the first examination, the summer resident may not see that the disease has already affected the tomatoes, but after they ripen and harvest, the fruits will begin to become covered with brown spots. If you do not take any measures in a timely manner, the disease can completely destroy the entire crop in just a few days.
Late blight is very fond of a humid climate, so on rainy days the disease will spread quickly enough. To reduce the risk of injury, experts recommend watering the plants strictly at the root, without affecting the leaves and the tomatoes themselves. In case of infection, diseased fruits and leaves must be destroyed so that the disease does not affect the rest of the crop.
As a preventive measure, tomatoes are recommended to be sprayed with warm water with the addition of a small amount of salt. If you notice the initial stage of late blight on the bushes, it is recommended to spray the leaves and fruits with a one percent solution of Bordeaux liquid. But remember that this method will only help at the initial stage of fruit infestation.
An infectious disease resulting from low humidity and high air temperature. Therefore, quite often, top rot manifests itself in the heat and dry period. High evaporation entails a large loss of moisture, which negatively affects not only the growth and ripening of tomatoes.
Most often, top rot affects the green fruits of tomatoes. At the initial stage of the disease, the fruits of tomatoes are covered with gray spots, and then they begin to acquire a rather dark shade. Rot rapidly spreads throughout the tomato, attracting more and more various microorganisms and bacteria, which lead to rotting of the fruit.
In addition, the disease can also cause an excess of feed, in particular nitrogen fertilizers. Experts recommend removing healthy leaves during tomato setting. As a preventive measure, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Most summer residents prefer to plant tomato seedlings in a greenhouse. However, in the greenhouse, tomatoes can be exposed to various microorganisms and bacteria, leading to blackening and rotting of the flesh. In addition to the above reasons, the following reasons can be the reasons for the blackening of tomatoes in the greenhouse:
- Unfavorable conditions for growing tomatoes can lead to the spread of internal fruit necrosis. As a result of necrosis, the tomato pulp begins to die off, and the seed chambers become empty. The tomato, or part of it, starts to turn black and gradually hardens. The use of such vegetables for food is contraindicated.
- Uneven watering, excess nitrogen, or lack of calcium can cause apical rot. The infection grows quickly enough, as a result, the fruit begins to acquire a pronounced dark color and a pungent smell of rot.
- Also, fungal diseases can also cause blackened tomatoes in the greenhouse, for example, black rot, brown spot, leaf mold. (especially in a wet summer). The fungus affects the tomato, usually in the second stage of ripening. Affected leaves begin to dry out, resulting in the death of the entire plant. those. when the fruit starts to turn red. Therefore, often when harvesting, summer residents are faced with red, but blackened fruits.
- And the most common disease is late blight, which affects not only the fruits, but the entire plant as a whole.
Why do tomatoes turn black in the garden?
Harvesting the entire crop from your site is the dream of every summer resident. However, despite all preventive measures, it is not possible to harvest the entire crop, and the reason for this is the disease of the fruits.
Like many cultivated plants, tomatoes are susceptible to various diseases. The most common problem is dark spots still on green fruits, quickly destroying the crop. Blackening of tomatoes is a symptom associated with various diseases or indicating that tomatoes are not receiving proper care.
The most common cause of dark spots on tomatoes is late blight. The disease affects the fruits of tomatoes, both in the greenhouse and in the open field. But more often, late blight affects the fruits of tomatoes in the garden. In addition, the reasons for the blackening of tomato fruits are: increased acidity of the soil, arising from an excess of fertilizers, as well as calcium deficiency, which creates a favorable environment for the development of rot and many other pathogenic fungi.
The appearance of the slightest spots on the fruits, damaged and dry leaves for the summer resident should be the first "bells" of the threat of the harvest.
Why does the harvested crop turn black?
The infection "attacks" not only the green fruits of tomatoes, but also the already red tomatoes, and even the harvested crop. But why?
Regardless of the "age" of the plant, the cause of the appearance of blackening and a rotten smell can also be such a fungus as anthracnose, which affects the fruits of tomatoes with small black specks. If you look closely, the spots are slightly depressed, have an almost identical color to the tomato. But after a while, the spots begin to change color and become darker.
Anthracnose usually affects fruits planted in open ground. In the process of tomato ripening, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. But one has only to harvest, and anthracnose will immediately begin to destroy the fruits.
What to do, how to process it?
Noticing the slightest spots of black color, it is urgent to start the fight for the harvest. First of all, it is necessary to thoroughly spray with a solution of calcium chloride or slightly salt water. For greater efficiency, it is better to spray on a cloudy day. Thanks to the solution, a thin salt film forms on the tomato skin, which protects the fruit from infection by fungal spores.
The second option, how to protect the fruits of tomatoes, is processing with a solution of Bordeaux liquid. In addition, there are a number of other ways to combat black spots. You can treat diseased bushes with a garlic solution or a kefir-water mixture.
- Do not plant seedlings in the same area earlier than after five years;
- Avoid planting tomatoes next to potatoes, as such a neighborhood can negatively affect the growth and yield of the former;
- Choose bright, well-ventilated areas;
- Be sure to do pinching and pinching of the main stem;
- Watering must be carried out only at the root, especially in the second half of July and August;
- Cut healthy leaves often.
Last but not least, growing tomatoes is best done without pesticides. It is especially important to fulfill this condition during the fruiting period. To control pests and diseases, it is best to resort to agrotechnical methods, since such methods are most effective in combating various diseases, in particular, late blight.