Prevention

• 1). Plant your tomatoes in full sun in an area that drains well and receives good wind exposure. This will help the leaves to dry quickly when they get wet.
  
  
• 2). Lay mulch down on top of the soil in your tomato garden after your tomatoes have been planted. This keeps the soil from splashing up on the plants after watering or a rain storm.
  
  
• 3). Water your plants from overhead early in the day to prevent leaves from being wet most of the day. Use a drip method, or if you are watering with a hose, keep the flow low so you don't splash soil up on the plants.
  
  
• 4). Stake your tomato plants, or use tomato plant cages to keep the plants off the ground. At the end of the season, disinfect them with a solution of 12 cups of water and 1 cup of bleach to remove any diseases.
  
  

Treatment

• 1). Treat plants that have been infected with early blight with a fungicide. You can find them in most garden stores or home centers. Follow the directions on the container for mixing and application. There are several types and various application intervals for each of them. Usually the fungicide is sprayed onto the plants every week or every other week.
  
  
• 2). Pinch off any leaves that are infected with early blight. Pinch off leaves that are touching the ground, also.
  
  
• 3). Inspect new foliage to ascertain the effectiveness of your fungicide. If it's not working after a few applications, you may need to switch to another type or brand. Pinch off any leaves with signs of disease.