You can be sure that if you've searched offline or online to find treatment options for tomatoes with pest and disease issues, you'll find plenty of good information - but not so much has been published about how to prevent as well as controlling these tomato pests and diseases. In this article we will attempt to enlighten you about controlling and preventing these things in your garden:
The first thing to understand is that diseases and pests that harm tomatoes thrive in moist conditions, debris covered tomato beds, and poor soils. One of the most commonly dangerous pests to cause damage to tomato plants is the greenfly. Fortunately there are ways to prevent them from totally destroying your plants.
One proven method that has been effective on greenflies is to plant African marigolds around the tomato plants. That way you'll be able to repel greenflies and also eelworms as well. Another plus is that dogs can't stand the smell that African marigolds give off, which means they won't be rooting around and digging in your tomato beds.
This is called 'companion planting'. It's where you intentionally plant different type of crops close to your tomatoes. This will not just ward off pests and diseases that can damage your tomatoes, but it also promotes healthy tomato plants. You can use nasturtiums, onions, petunias, geraniums, and parsley as trap crops. These will attract the pests and keep them away from decimating your tomatoes.
If you are into practicing organic farming then you can utilize some anti-aphid spray for warding off these pests. It's recommended that you do your spraying early in the planting season. It should be done before the ground begins warming up. This should be repeated regularly so those pesky little pests won't have any opportunity to lay eggs or settle into the leaves.
You can also control the pests effectively by making sure you only use good nutrient-rich soil and put a lot of good mulch around your plants. Spacing is also vitally important to your tomato plants. Each plant needs room to grow and to get plenty of air circulation. Proper spacing helps in the prevention of the spreading of disease.
By regular, consistent, and careful watering of your tomatoes you will be preventing disease and controlling pests. Tomatoes need watering every day, mainly in the morning or really late at night, at times when the sun is not real harsh. You need to watch and not splash soil onto your foliage because it can cause blight.
With all this having been said, if you practice these good gardening tips about soil preparation and tips for proper watering and fertilization, then you can prevent disease and control the pests that would damage your tomatoes.
For more information about growing tomatoes please visit our website Home Grown Tomatoes.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ted_Wilson
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