Mulch Beneath Your Tomatoes and Prevent Disease: A Disease Barrier

I hope to get some pictures up soon but I am running tight on time. Now that we are all cutting grass it is important you mulch beneath your tomatoes NOW. Why? Early blight and many diseases are soil born. The rain splashes the spores up onto the bottom leaves, from the soil, and the disease creeps upward.

Much is your first defense. Grass clipping work well. Two inches of green grass to start. When that dries and yellows, add another two inches. Make a disease barrier.

The second defense is to remove the bottom branches of the tomato plant. I hope to do that today and get some pictures up. Eventually I remove a foot worth of leaves. If you can make it difficult for spores to get to your tomato plants, you might win the battle.

Maryland is plagued with Early Blight.