Tomato Disaster

[dingerbell]

My outdoor tomatoes were looking fantastic but suddenly leaves are going brown and curling up and the fruit has gone from green to nasty brown :-[
What's going wrong??  Help please :'(

[dingerbell]

[Derekthefox]

My immediate reaction is that you have got the blight. If so, then that is the end of your plants I believe. Lets see if anyone else has other ideas.   :(

[plot51A]

Went down to my lottie this evening after being away for a few days. Have lost ALL my tomato plants to the dreaded blight - disaster is the only way to describe it! Had some slight signs 3/4 weeks ago. decided to spray but wasn't able to do so after the last rain we had last week. I didn't realise it could strike so quickly and so completely. Probably the reason why nobody on my lotties seems to grow them.

[Jill]

Have to say it does sound like the dreaded blight.  Commiserations, it got my toms that way last year.  Now grow in pots at home where so far toms and pots have been blight-free.

[Trenchboy]

It seems that once an allotment site is hit by blight or carrot fly or whatever, it stays infected.

Certainly our site doesn't support tomatoes, though so far mine at home are looking ok. It's a real sickener when something you've toiled over turns to mush. Memo to self - avoid children in the next life/incarnation.

Hope all your other stuff stays fit and well.

[tim]

There but for the grace of God...........................................

[beejay]

Lost most of our toms to blight 2 & 3 years ago, but then last year one of the best crops ever. So not total doom & gloom, depends on weather conditions I believe but the worry is always there.

[aquilegia]

Oh Dinger, my sympathy goes out to you. Mine had blight last year - it is nasty.

[quinny]

My toms have little black specks on them - gritty looking - do you guys think that's the dreaded lurgy also?

[dingerbell]

 :'( Months of hard slog down the Gurgler.
Do I have to destroy ALL my plants or is there any possibility that those not yet affected maight be spared....They're all loaded with fruit :'(  Maybe some Green Tomato Chutney before they succumb :-\
There are 3 different varieties and some look worse than others. Some are As yet, un affected. Am I grabbingg at straws?? :-\

[Jill]

DB it's awful, isn't it.  Afraid to say when I tried rescuing the few remaining healthy looking tomatoes from my blight infested plants, I found that within a day or so of picking they still started turning brown.  Mine were all the same variety though.

[the_snail]

There is NO reason why you should not grow outdoor tommies on your allotment. There are allot of varaities that are resistant to many diseases like blight! If they can cultivate a blite resistant potatoe then a tomatoe is simple, they both belong to the same family! The potatoe is solaneace tuberosus and the tomatoe was once known as Solanum lycopersicon but now is more commonly known as Lycopersicon esculentum which is the common generic variety.

If you would like to try tomatoes then please try a variety that is not prone to blight, or try some in grow bags planted in a shielded area like between some runner beans or your peas.

Hope that helps:)

The_Sexy_Snail (aka The_Snail)

[plot51A]

Can you give us a bit more info Snail - like which varieties? I was growing 8 different varieties including Gardeners Delight, Ailsa Craig, Sunburst - all recommended for outdoors. Would love to try blight resistant varieties after this years experience.
Thanks very much.

[the_snail]

I have never realy grown a outdoor tomatoe. My advice would be to snuggle back on a cold winters day with a glass of mulled wine, and with a good seed catalogue and give it a bit of thought.

Sorry could not help more

The_Snail

[jennym]

If you pick healthy looking unblemished green tomatoes from plants when the blight first hits, you can save them by taking them home, washing them thoroughly - use a little drop of bleach or campden tablet in the water, rinse very, very, very thoroughly and allow to dry. This kills off any of the blight fungus. You must lay them out not touching to ripen, and remove any that do start to go brown.
I grow Sungold, Red Alert, Roma, gardeners delight. I understand that Ferline is said to be fairly blight resistant.

[the_snail]

Well leave it with me periwinkle like I staded I dont grow outdoors much. The best results I had when I tried The Amature (The only time I grew outdoor tomatoes) but I was not comparing it with anything.

The_Snail

[Robert_Brenchley]

I tried outdoor tomatoes the first year I had the plot, and lost the lot to blight (at least, I'm now told it was probably early blight). This year, I've finally tried again, and got a tomato jungle with masses of tomatoes coming. Even if they got blight now, I'd still get vast amounts of chutney. Keep trying, it will work in the end.

[jennym]

...This year, I've finally tried again, and got a tomato jungle with masses of tomatoes coming. ...

This year I planted Roma only about 15" apart and it really is a jungle, and I did it with blight in mind too. Some should protect the others I hope, if I get it.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I put mine 18 inches apart, and can see nothing but tomato leaves. There are plenty of fruit in there, but they aren't going to be easy to get to with the plants sprawling all over the place. At least they grew, that's the main thing.

[jennym]

Robert - yes, I think this is the best way.
I wish I knew how to do pictures with my messages, I've sent a Paypal payment, but still can't find out how to do it. Is there a particular thread that will help me? I am an amateur when it comes to computers.