Topic: Blight has reached my greenhouse

[Doris_Pinks]

I could cry! Have picked off the affected leaves, in the hopes that the  remaining tomato fruits miss it......all that waiting for home grown toms  :'(  :'(  :'(  :'(  Should I just be pulling up my lovely tom plants and give in? DP

[sandersj89]

Doris

If it seems to be spreading rapidly I would be tempted to pick the tomatoes ASAP and place in a dark drawer/tray. They will ripen but might not be as sweet as they would if left on the vine.

Sorry to hear, my greenhouses have remained clear so far and the spuds have only a touch of blight so far. I am on the  west/east sussex boundary.

Jerry

[Doris_Pinks]

Jerry I am near Tunbridge Wells, and today I AM disgusted in!! Will keep an eye on the spread of it, thanks.

[aquilegia]

I've had a bit of blight on my spuds and toms (outdoor). I've pinched off any leaves that look affected and thrown the away. Then washed hands thoroughly before touching unblighted plants. It seems to be keeping it under control (touch wood!)

[Mrs Ava]

Oh no DP!  I noticed an iffy leaf on one of my greenhouse toms and nipped it off and binned it immediately.  After loosing all of my toms at the allotment I really don't wanna loose my greenhouse babies.  Is there nothing you can do to treat it, or is it a case of once you have it, too late?  Sooooooooooooooo sorry!  :'(

[sandersj89]

Once you have it there is little you can do.

Removing leaves helps slow the spread to some extent but you have no idea how far the spores have spread.

Prevention is possible with sprays such as Dithane and Borbeaux mixture. These are mainly copper based fingicides and Bordeaux is deemed to be organic I belive.

HTH

Jerry

[tim]

As a matter of interest, does anyone spray toms routinely?

I spray potatoes, but too late this year - even in June!. = Tim

[sandersj89]

As a matter of interest, does anyone spray toms routinely?

i]. = Tim

Tim

I have sprayed my greenhouse the last 3 years, only my main greenhouse though where most of my crop is. Only one treatment is required as the spray is not washed away by rain. Normally I spray in May.

HTH

Jerry

[tim]

Good point about no rain. = Tim

[tim]

Of course, I'm just assuming it's blight?? = Tim

[sandersj89]

Yep, that is it.

Once the leaves drop the spores onto the fruit they will start developing a brown tinge. The flesh also starts to have a wrinkled feel to it.

The leaves then get darker and the fruits turn almost black and go soft.

Bin them ASAP, remove all the plant material and burn or bin. Afraid I would be too worried to put them in a compost heap.

I have picked loads of toms of three affected plants this year that were still green or only just starting to turn. These I washed and then placed in trays in the shed. I check each day and throw out a few as they still succomb sometimes. I expect 50% losses.

Jerry

[john_miller]

I'm posting this because someone reading the above may get the wrong impression. Both Dithane and Bordeaux compound are protectant fungicides with minor preventive value. They are not systemic (i.e. translocated through the vascular system of the plant) so any new growth produced after application will not be protected. This is one reason it is recommended that both are applied repeatedly during the season, 7-10 days is the generally recommended interval. While I certainly am not disputing that sanders has only made one application in May and not been affected by blight subsequently, this will have been due to other factors, not the fungicide applied 4 months ago.

[tim]

OF COURSE - blind as a bat!! Thanks, John.

But presumably of some help, depending on the amount of foliage at the time? = Tim

[sandersj89]

But presumably of some help, depending on the amount of foliage at the time? = Tim

Sorry, should have made it clear, my toms were sown under light and in a heated greenhouse in Early Jan. As a result by May I had already stopped their growth at the eaves of the greenhouse in question. So very little new growth of foliage as the trusses developed.

Jerry

[john_miller]

More than some, Tim. Properly applied bordeaux compound is close to 100% effective. Improperly applied, as I do (rain or lack of time invariably interferes with a regular schedule), it still saves the crop! I would also mention that baking soda certainly seems to have had very good control of early blight (Alternaria solani, not Phytophthora infestans) on the few plants I sprayed it with.