Kinds of Mulch to Prevent Tomato Blight

Mulch Removal

• Early blight fungi live in tomato plant soil. When soil splashes on tomato plants, disease-causing fungi spread over the plant. Late blight fungi travel through rain water. An infected plant spreads the disease when water runs off the plant to nearby tomato plants. Because the mulch next to the tomato plant may harbor either type of the fungi, it is important to remove the mulch. Throw away or burn mulch, but avoid composting to prevent spreading the fungi.

Plastic

• Plastic mulch is commonly used to prevent rain or soil from splashing tomato plants. Unlike organic mulch types, plastic mulch doesn't need to be replaced every growing season. To install plastic mulch, lay a piece of the material next to the tomato plant's growing area. Cut the plastic mulch to fit the planting bed. Create X-shaped cuts into the plastic for pulling over the tomato plants. Secure the perimeters of the plastic mulch with landscape pins. Organic or synthetic mulch may be placed on top of the plastic mulch to keep it from degrading in the sun.

Newspapers

• Turning old newspapers into mulch is an effective way of recycling and preventing tomato blight. Newspaper mulch must be applied after the soil has reached 73 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a soil thermometer to determine when the soil has warmed up. To act as an effective mulch to prevent weed growth and disease, shredded newspaper mulch must be applied in a 4- to 5- inch layer around tomato plants. In order to prevent newspapers from flying around, water the area.

Pine Straw

• Pine straw mulch reduces water runoff and keeps the soil moist for healthy tomato growth. Also, pine straw mulch reduces soil temperature fluctuations which cause blossom-end rot on tomato plants. Unlike newspaper mulch, pine straw mulch is applied at the time of planting or when the soil temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit. For an adequate layer of pine straw mulch, spread a 3- to 4-inch layer. Because pine straw mulch decomposes throughout the growing season, you’ll need to reapply.