BEST PRACTICES FOR TOMATOES, PEPPERS, & EGGPLANT …

BEST PRACTICES FOR TOMATOES, PEPPERS, & EGGPLANT (SOLANACEAE)

Session 3 of 8-part Webinar Series “Digging Deeper: Virtual Garden Series”

March 30, 2021

Purdue Extension Area 5 Ag & Natural Resources Educators

Sadie Davis, Greene [email protected]

Amy Thompson, Monroe [email protected]

Bob Bruner, Clay & Owen [email protected]

Tabatha Flinn, Vigo [email protected]

Phil Cox, Vermillion [email protected]

Jenna Nees, Putnam [email protected]

Brooke Stefancik, Sullivan [email protected]

Kurt Lanzone, Parke [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]








Tomato Culture

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Plant after average last spring frost. Tomatoes grow best when daytime temperatures average 75 F; and eveningtemps average 68 F.

Temperatures below 60 F or above 80 F impair growth and fruit set.

Plant tomatoes at least 2 feet apart in rows that are 3 to 4 feet apart.

Determine your staking, trellis, or caging system before you plant.

Caged plants do not require pruning and will produce more fruit.Caged plants also ripen later because there is more shading (because of lack of pruning) and sun scald is also reduced.

Fertilizing Tomatoes

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Apply nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium according to the soil test recommendations before planting and work them into the soil.

On coarse-textured soils, apply 0.75 – 1.5 oz Nitrogen/100 sq. ft. before transplanting tomatoes and sidedress the remainder in one or more applications after the fruits set.

Tomatoes – Infectious Diseases

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Browning and dying of lower leaves of tomato plant is a symptom of both Early blight and Septoria leaf spot.

Wet spring and early summer favoursdevelopment of both Early blight and Septoria leaf spot.

Early blight and Septoria leaf spot overwinter on plant debris left in the garden.

Fungal spores are splashed onto the foliage by raindrops and splashing water.

A wet leaf surface is required for spores to invade the plant tissue.


Early Blight & Septoria Leaf Spot

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Early blight produces brown spots that are up to ½ - inch diameter. Notice the concentric circles.

Septoria leaf spot causes small brown spots that are up to 1/8-inch diameter. Notice that they have tan or gray centers and dark edges.


Bacterial Speck and Bacterial Spot

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Dark brown spots on leaves that are often smaller than those caused by early blight or Septoria leaf spot.


Bacterial Speck and Bacterial Spot

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Severe infections may cause dark scabby-like lesions on the fruit.

Tomatoes – Infectious DiseasesWhat can home gardeners do to manage early blight, Septoria leaf spot, bacterial speck & spot problems?

o Select stocky, healthy plants.o Select resistant plants. Except for Septoria leaf spot.o Plant tomatoes in a different location in the garden each year. Rotate crops so that tomatoes and

other solanaceous crops (potatoes, peppers, and eggplants) are not grown in the same area for at least 3 or 4 years.

o When planting tomatoes, space plants approximately 3 feet apart.o Grow tomato plants in wire cages.o In early June, apply a 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch around each tomato plant. Shredded leaves, dry

grass clippings, and straw are excellent mulches.o Avoid wetting tomato foliage when watering. Apply directly to the ground around plants with a

soaker hose or slow running hose.o Apply fungicides at 7 to 14 day intervals beginning 2 to 4 weeks after transplanting.o If blight occurs, remove and destroy infected leaves as they appear.o At the end of the gardening season, remove and destroy all infected tomato plants.

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Tomatoes – Noninfectious Disorders

Blossom-end Rot

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Caused by calcium deficiency in the fruit. Not necessarily a calcium deficiency in the soil.

Could be caused by a prolonged dry spell or too much rainfall.

Too much nitrogen also promotes blossom-end rot.

Test your soil to make sure pH is adequate for tomatoes (6.2 – 6.8), and augment with lime to add calcium and raise the pH as necessary.

Also, mulch around the base of plants to conserve soil moisture during hot periods and water regularly.

Tomatoes – Noninfectious Disorders

Catfacing

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This disorder is recognized by the malformed fruit it causes.

Catfacing often occurs when the flower buds were exposed to cold.

Variety selection is the most practical way to limit this problem as larger varieties are more prone to catfacing.

Five Steps for Healthy Garden Tomatoes

1. Diagnose the Problem Correctly

o Purdue Tomato Doctor app (Apple App Store or Google Play Store)

o Take a sample to your County Extension ANR Educator

o Send a sample or photo to the Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Lab (www.ppdl.purdue.edu)

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2. Plant Resistant Varieties

o Choose varieties that have resistance to diseases.

o VFN – Resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt, and root-knot nematode.

o Some varieties have partial resistance to early blight.

o No varieties are resistant to Septoria leaf spot.

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3. Use Cultural Practices

o Crop Rotation – 3 to 4 years

Particularly important for heirloom tomatoes!

o Remove tomato plants and weeds as soon as

harvest is complete

o Fall Tillage

Tilling 4 – 8 inches will bury remaining residue

o Sanitation – clean stakes or cages each year.

9 parts water and 1 part household bleach.

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Five Steps for Healthy Garden Tomatoes4. Maintain Healthy Plants

o Soil should be well-tilled, well-drained, and properly fertilized

o pH should be slightly acidic, between 6.2 and 6.8

o If no soil test: apply 2 to 3 lb/100 sq. ft. of complete fertilizer like 5-10-10, 10-10-10, or 8-16-16. Follow label directions!

o Water regularly. About 1-inch of water per week is required for full-grown plants.

o Avoid overhead irrigation.

o Add mulch to reduce evaporation and weeds.

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5. If You Use Fungicides

o Read the label and follow all mixing, applying and safety instructions.

THE LABEL IS THE LAW!

Protect Pollinators! Protecting Pollinators in Fruit & Vegetable Production, POL-2 & Protecting Honey Bees From Pesticides, E-53-W

o Use a pressure sprayer for best results.

o Products that contain chlorothalonil are preferred.

o Copper products are also effective and will allow you to grow organically.

o Apply fungicides before disease symptoms occur or in the early stages.

o 2021 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers, pg. 77-98 (www.mwveguide.org)

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Five Steps for Healthy Garden Tomatoes, BP-184-W

by Dan Egel, Purdue Botany and Plant Pathology, Clinical Engagement Associate Professor – SWPAC

Tomatoes, HO-26-W, by Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Specialist (retired)

Epic Tomatoes: How to Select & Grow the Best Varieties of All Time, by Craig LeHoullier, Tomato Advisor for Seed Savers Exchange

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Pepper Culture

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Plant at least 2 weeks after average last spring frost.Peppers grow best when daytime temperatures are between 75 – 85 F; and evening temps average are 65 - 70 F.

Pepper fruit set only occurs at temps of 75 – 86 F.

Night temperatures below 72 F will result in poor fruit set.

Temperatures greater than 90 F or less than 55 F result in heavy blossom drop.

Peppers can be planted in twin rows 14-in apart and 40-in from the center of one double row to the center of the next double row.Peppers do not require support.

Fertilizing Peppers

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Require high soil fertility early in the growing cycle. Apply phosphorus and potassium according to the soil test recommendations before planting.Use a starter solution high in nitrogen and phosphorus when setting out transplants and sidedress 1 or 2 applications of nitrogen later in the season.If foliage starts to turn from dark green to pale green or yellow, peppers are probably low in nitrogen.

Peppers – Infectious Diseases

Anthracnose

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Only occasionally causes lesions on leaves on pepper foliage under high disease pressure.

Pepper & tomato fruits are very susceptible.

Fungal spores are splashed onto the foliage by raindrops and splashing water.

Rotate crops at least 2 years and practice fall tillage.

Management practices also include removal of diseased fruits and fungicide applications.


Bacterial Spot

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The spots develop gray to tan centers with darker borders.

You can minimize problems with bacterial spot by following these tips:Select resistant varietiesPurchase disease-free seed and transplants.Treat seeds by soaking them for 2 minutes in a 10% chlorine bleach solution (1 part bleach; 9 parts water). Thoroughly rinse seeds and dry them before planting.Mulch plants deeply with a thick organic material like newspaper covered with straw or grass clippings.Avoid overhead watering.


Bacterial Spot

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Remove and discard badly infected plant parts and all debris at the end of the season.Spray every 10-14 days with fixed copper (organic fungicide) to slow down the spread of infection.Rotate peppers to a different location if infections are severe and cover the soil with black plastic mulch or black landscape fabric prior to planting.


Phytophthoria Blight

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A soil-borne fungal disease that causes wilting of pepper, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, and cucumber.Happens on poorly drained soils during warm wet weather.All plant parts may be affected.You can minimize problems with bacterial spot by following these tips:Select resistant varietiesRemove and discard badly infected plant parts and all debris at the end of the season.Avoid poorly drained soils.Plant on ridges or beds and irrigate around the base of the plants.Rotate crops to a different area next year.

Eggplant Culture

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Plant at least 2 weeks after average last spring frost.

Eggplant grows best when daytime temperatures are between 75 – 85 F; and evening temps average are 65 - 75 F.

Eggplants can be planted 18 – 24-inchesbetween plants and 30 – 36 inches between rows.

If history of potato or flea beetles, consider protecting the plants with row covers at transplanting.

Consider using black plastic or black woven fabric to control weeds and warm soil.

Eggplants do not require support.

Fertilizing Eggplant

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Require high soil fertility early in the growing cycle. Apply phosphorus and potassium according to the soil test recommendations before planting.Apply ¼ of the total nitrogen as a sidedress at transplanting and again every 3 weeks for optimum growth.

Eggplant – Infectious Diseases

Phytophthoria blight

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Affects stems, leaves, and fruit.

Can be a problem in wet, poorly drained soils.

Other potential diseases are: Phomopsis blight, early blight, Verticillium wilt, tobacco mosaic virus and tomato spotted wilt.

Disease management involves crop rotation, sanitation, planting in raised beds, and the use of protectant fungicides.

Few eggplant varieties have resistance to diseases other than tobacco mosaic virus.

Eggplant – Insect Damage

Colorado Potato Beetle

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Larvae are bright pink to red with black heads, and older larvae have 2 rows of black dots on the sides of their bodies.

Adults are yellow, oval-shaped and about ¼ to 1/3 – inch long with 10 black stripes on their wing covers.


Potato Flea Beetle

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Adult is black and 1/16-inch long.

They attack potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.


Managing Colorado Potato & Potato Flea Beetle

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Consider using row covers to physically protect plants.

Row covers should be removed when flowers are present to increase pollination.

Insecticides can be used, see Managing Insects in the Home Vegetable Garden, E-21-W (Purdue Department of Entomology)

Purdue Extension FoodLink

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FoodLink℠ is the resource for anyone who has ever stood in front of produce and wondered, “What is that?” or “What do I do with that?” Scan the FoodLink℠ QR codes on fresh fruits and vegetables to learn more about them, including how to select, prepare, and care for them.

https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/

https://extension.purdue.edu/foodlink/

BEST PRACTICES FOR TOMATOES, PEPPERS, & EGGPLANT …

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