Tomatoes are delicate and susceptible to disease so they are not always so easy to grow.
It is very important to understand natural pest and disease control if you want to effectively grow tomatoes.
I have used the best growing systems and have still had some challenges, so that tells me that tomato plants don't read books or listen to manufacturers instructions.
The tomato plant begins the fight of it's life the minute the seed goes into the soil and it will have to fight with all it's might to survive and make it to full bloom.
Farmers help the tomato by making sure it has all the right nutrients to go to battle. For the tomato, nutrients are like armor in the garden.
When you think of your garden and your tomato plants, think of it as a baby nursery.
Remember how everything needs to be disinfected for the baby because it has a weak immune system?
It is the same for young plants in the garden and especially tomatoes. Disease is just waiting to attack the tender tomato plants and we must assist the plants by feeding them vitamins and minerals early on (it's like colostrum for a baby).
Always remember that your plants need to eat, move, drink, sleep and breathe just like you. They must be fed judiciously and water is certainly not enough. When organic gardening it is vital to add compost regularly and use compost teas too, to keep the plants strong.
The video below has many tips and discusses some diseases specific to tomato plants.
The music is from Kool and the Gang and the song is "Summertime". I remember where I was when I first heard this song. I was 14, watching General Hospital and Luke and Laura were in love but couldn't be together for some reason.
