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Vermont Green MTN State

What is the disease that kills the tomato plant? It starts as spots on leaves and spreads all over. I was told it was a mold that was in the soil, when it rains it splashes up on the plant and causes the problem. How do you rid a garden of this stuff?

2/27/2004 2:30:36 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Around here it's called the "blight". I believe our version is some variety of blight, exactly what type I'm not sure.

2/27/2004 2:41:33 PM

Covington, WA

Kyle is right, it can be late blight or early blight. Daconil and Copper fungicides are supposed to help, but the results in my garden are not spectacular with these. Plastic mulches like the red mulch that is sold by Territorial Seed, and others seem to help more than the sprays do. A variety called Legend sold by Territorial seems to be fairly resistant. Good luck. Around here it is a yearly battle to get a good crop ripe before the blight sets in. Using drip emitters or soaker hose under the plastic mulch eliminates the splashing from the soil caused by overhead watering. Rain can also cause the splashing, but around here summers are generally dry. I will try to enhance my ripening times and disease control this year by setting up my pumpkin cloches over the tomatoes once the pumpkins have outgrown them.

2/27/2004 3:04:52 PM

wisconsin rapids WI

Last year I used Kelp and fish to folier feed I think this helped keep down the blight I also sprayed with Brovo I had the best looking plants even in late September I also prune all the botum leaves off the plant about a foot up

2/27/2004 4:22:53 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Here in Germany it is called "Kraut- und Braunfäule". The plants get brown spots on the leaves and stems that get larger and larger. Eventually the whole plant will be brown and die. The latin name is "phytophora infestans" if I remember correctly. Could this be the disease that your tomatoes have? I found that there are only two possibilities of preventing this disease: 1) Building a greenhouse like structure over the plants to keep the foliage absolutely dry. 2) Using a SYSTEMIC fungicide.
Best wishes,
Martin

2/27/2004 6:36:43 PM

KENTUCKY

Last year my tomatoes got overspray from my pumpkin. My tomatoes got fish, seaweed, regularly. They also got warrior T and quadris (not sure on spelling). I was picking tomatoes in June and still picking them in November, off same plants, when I took off to deer camp. (and they were still blooming for more). Then the frost got them while I was gone. By far my best looking, tasting, lasting plants I ever had. Healthy the whole year with no diseases at all.

2/27/2004 7:44:13 PM

Montoursville, PA

OK....let's go one step or two further. Aerobic compost is super charged with beneficial bacteria. Make tea from aerobic compost for an even better foliar spray. This will occupy the leaf space with living bacteria as well as deliver a multitude of growing elements. Follow mid-week with fish, kelp and molasses. Rotate this fine program and you will most likely see no fungus. In all cases you foliar feed flowing to the point of ample run off. You will have great tomato crops.

Your run off will build your underground living soil while you offer the plant numerous ways to grow and protect itself with foliar spray.

Aerobic compost is one that has a great blend of components and has set in pile at 140 degrees for three or four weeks having been turned at least once. All harmful fungi and pathogens are killed at 140 to 150 degrees. To do this right you need a thermometer for the pile temperature reading. Aerobic tea made from aerobic compost is better than the compost you made in the first place. Go to North Country Organics and read about aerobic teas and their values.

3/8/2004 4:59:36 PM