We know that in-home gardens in general agriculture crops can be attacked by pests and diseases that decrease crop yields. One of the ways to protect plants against diseases is to use copper. However, many people do not know when to copper tomatoes. Tomatoes are plants that are attacked by numerous pests and diseases and they must be prevented from spreading.
Therefore, in this article, we are going to teach you when to cover the tomatoes and what you can protect with it.
Tomato diseases
We know that tomato cultivation is one of the most appreciated by consumer gardeners. However, although they are rustic and vigorous plants that can adapt well to numerous types of soils, they can be attacked by pests and diseases . To ensure a healthy tomato crop, it is essential to use some management practices that help us minimize the need for treatments. One of these practices is to use copper sulfate.
Copper sulfate is called almost every type of fungicide that comes from copper. There is a wide variety of products to use in crop protection. Most varieties are climbing plants so they need to be surrounded, only a few varieties are grown in the ground. Plants must be pruned as they grow. Once the tomato plant has grown its third flower, it is recommended to remove the older leaves from the bottom. They are not very prolific leaves, which makes ventilation difficult. These simple cares ensure adequate ventilation of sunlight and plants, helping them prevent terrible fungal problems.
If even with these good practices you want to have a better prevention, you should know when to copper tomatoes. It is important that we use some prevention measures before treatment as such. There are two main fungal diseases in tomato cultivation. One is mildew and the other is powdery mildew. Depending on the humidity and temperature conditions, as well as the sensitivity of the variety and the amount of initial inoculation, the plant will be more susceptible to one or another tomato disease.
To combat these diseases, we have two important products: copper and sulfur . Each has different characteristics and applications, so it is important to understand what it is used for and how to apply it to get the best results. That is why we are going to tell you when to add copper to the tomatoes.
When to copper tomatoes
The first of all is to know what mildew is and how we can recognize our tomatoes when they are affected by this disease. It is a disease with fungal origin, its proliferation is favored by humid environments and temperatures that are in a range from 10 to 25 degrees.
Mold can be identified in the early stage by light green to brown spots on plant leaves , which will develop until they are completely dry. It also spreads easily by friction, so avoid handling diseased plants.
The best way to combat this fungus is to take preventive measures, such as choosing disease-resistant cultivars that are more suitable for the area , favoring the ventilation of the plants, and not ignoring the wounds caused by pruning, or even removing the affected parts. . If you want to resort to a chemical that is effective, it is best to learn when to copper tomatoes. In the world of organic farming preventive treatments are allowed, copper. It is a fungicide that attacks many fungi except powdery mildew and is also very effective as a bactericide.
The advantage that copper offers over other types of prevention is that it has a long persistence and remains active for a long period of time after it has been applied. The preventive applications of copper and sulfur are quite important, especially in times of higher humidity and higher temperatures. In addition, it should not be forgotten that copper is an important micronutrient necessary for the development of tomato crops. Copper is naturally absorbed by the roots and becomes part of the plant’s system, participating in processes such as chlorophyll biosynthesis. the chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis and, therefore, for the development of crops and crops. It is difficult to find copper deficiencies in orchards, since this obligation is carried out mainly on a phytosanitary basis.
When to copper tomatoes to act
Copper forms a thin film on crop leaves and is absorbed by fungi that attack plants, mainly during the germination stage of spores. This means that its actions are preventive, and if the plant is already sick, it will not be effective.
Another aspect that must be taken into account is that it is classified as a contact product, which makes it easy to wash in the rain and must be used again. It is recommended to do it after the plants are dry. Special care must be taken when using it with other products, since if it is used with foliar fertilizer, copper can be inhaled into the plant, in which case it can be toxic to the crop . You should also be careful with the amount, because abuse can cause excessive accumulation in the soil and penetrate the roots.
We can find different formulations on the market to buy copper. Each type of variety has different concentrations and adjusts well to the needs of each one. Let’s see what the main formulations are:
- Copper sulfate: it is the most persistent although it is also the most toxic because it has very small particles and they are capable of penetrating the plant.
- Copper oxychloride : this is less persistent since it adheres to plants with greater difficulty. It is the one that presents the least phytotoxicity problems since it costs too much to adhere to the plant.
- Cuprous oxide: it is a variety that has a high resistance and is able to withstand washing well. This makes it recommended for tomato growing areas where they have a regime with high rainfall.
- Copper hydroxide: it usually has a low persistence since its formulation is fast acting and produces a shock effect.
Recently, in the ecological control of mildew and bacterial diseases, a new preparation derived from copper, copper gluconate , has been used with success . This is a product that contains much less copper but is made up of gluconic acid. Its main function is that it improves the pathway of action of copper, and provides very good results while being more respectful with the environment and avoiding final phytotoxicity. Thanks to this, we use less copper and improve its effectiveness. In this way, we achieve better results with less use of raw materials.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about when to copper tomatoes.
