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I agree with saddad, botrytis. I have noticed that where the ties go round the plant they can cause damage which let the botrytis spores in. Like you Tim, once it occurs I cut out the affected leaves/stems.
I don't think you are daft at all Valmarg. My plants had a similar pattern of infection and I reached the same conclusion this year but hadn't decided how to try and avoid it. Was thinking of buying some "Soft Tie" but tights sound sensible.Aw thanks Barnowl.I also wonder whether pinching out side shoots (not that there's much choice) and cutting back the leaves as the plant matures also provides entry points for disease.With regard to pinching out side shots, a lot of the tomatoes we grow are beefsteak, and it is recommended that the side shoots be removed. We have never had very good crops doing this, and OH is a demon for surfing the net for advice. He has been on a lot of American sites, and they recommend letting them grow, not pinching out. Since following this advice we have had fantastic crops - a variety I would recommend is Mountain Pride.I think I've made a right mess of this posting, but hope you understand what I was trying to say ;Dvalmarg