Grey mold question

[b54red]

Originally Posted by roper2008

Thank you, I did ferment the seeds, but I wasn’t completely comfortable using them this year.
It is a black variety. I don’t think I will use them.

Bill, I thought I didn’t start any black varieties, but I forgot about my 2 Carbon seedlings. I was
so looking forward to trying it because of all the good reviews. I’m going to still grow them, and
try your treatments as soon as I see the grey mold.

What’s weird about this grey mold is that it started about 3 years ago. It’s always been humid
here. I’ve grown blacks before without any grey mold (black Krim, Indian Stripe, etc) I will also
keep them away from my other tomato plants.

The very first time I grew a few black tomatoes I got gray mold on some of them and initially had no idea what I was dealing with or how to treat it. Some years it is not a problem and some years it is. I don't believe it is seed born due to the fact that it seems to be a problem more of the weather conditions and plant crowding. Regular spraying with a copper fungicide is usually adequate to keep gray mold at bay but in wet times and the cool nights of fall when it is damp I have to use the diluted bleach spray to keep it under control.

Do not wait to use the bleach spray once you see gray mold appear but rather treat it as quickly and often as necessary to get rid of it as fast as you can to prevent it spreading. The next day or day after treatment with the bleach spray remove the shriveled stems and leaves and spray with a copper spray. It is frequently necessary to spray with the bleach spray twice or more in a short time in order to get good results but delaying for even a few days in treating the problem will frequently result in too much foliage lose due to the rapidity with which it can spread if the conditions are favorable. Usually if the humidity isn't too high and the plants are kept well pruned and sprayed with a copper spray gray mold is just a minor or even no problem; but during times of frequent rain and or excessive humidity it can be a challenge to control.

Despite gray molds frequent appearance on some of the black varieties and sometimes the GWR varieties I wouldn't dream of not planting them. I have only rarely seen it spread to other types of tomatoes and that was always due to me not maintaining the plants properly or maintaining my fungicide spraying. Some of my black tomato varieties are frequently among my top producers despite even a bad year for gray mold and in years when it is not a problem they are almost always the top producers in the heat of summer and early fall.

Bill