• Select plants with disease resistance.
• Maintain a debris free garden. Remove all garden crop residues; a thorough cleanup is essential.
• Do not compost diseased plant materials or fruit, dispose of them immediately.
• Thoroughly clean and disinfect your hands and your gardening tools after working with diseased plants (this should be done in between going from plant to plant). Make sanitizing your hands and your tools part of your garden routine!
• Rotate crops when possible.
• Space plants apart for good air circulation; no closer than 3 feet.
• Water the soil deeply, around the plants in the morning only; No overhead watering. Don’t put your plants to sleep with wet feet!
• Control insects. Aphids and White flies can spread diseases.
• Remove weeds that may attract insects.
• Don’t work in a wet garden.
• Maintain a fertilization schedule. Healthy plants combat disease.
• Plant resistant or tolerant tomato varieties.
• Remove lower branches as plants grow to avoid soil splash back. The distance from ground to bottom branches should be a minimum of 2 feet.
• Mulch the soil around the tomatoes.

The proper fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides for your growing area and situations are available from the independent garden center where you purchased your Chef Jeff Vegetables and Herbs. For correct advice, quality products and personal service, stop by your local independent garden center.