How I fought foliage disease and won

[b54red]

Originally Posted by dipchip2000

Bill

I have only had to deal with late blight two years during a very rainy season. The first year I lost 5 plants and the second season I only lost 2 plants. During a wet year I spray between rains sometimes every day. The first time I waited too late to begin spraying. Now I spray at the first sign of disease or even sometimes when there is no sign of disease but I think it could be lurking about. I have found that a little leaf burn is better than waiting too late and not being successful. It is a little extra work but the bleach is cheap and it gives me something to do to be proactive and not just sit back and wait. I think that if you wait too long the chances of it working are much less. Your experimentation with bleach spray has given me some control that I never had before. Thank you for that. My approach might be a little over the top but I cant argue with the results. Its a little extra effort but so many extra fruits rather than dead plants.

ron

Ron I used to use a stronger solution every time but with experimenting I think I have found a ratio that works well enough on most diseases and gives me no leaf burn. When I encounter something persistent or super virulent like late blight I will up the dose and suffer a bit of leaf burn. You are one of the few that has taken what I said about starting early and using it sooner rather than later to heart and it looks like it has paid off for you like it has me. I sometimes feel like I am beating my head against the wall trying to get everyone to understand what a mistake it is to wait. Maybe you can get away with it in areas where disease pressure isn't so great but down here one extra day can be huge. I'm sure a lot of the reason that people wait too long is the same reason I had long ago and that is not recognizing the first signs of diseases and not realizing for everything they see there may be so much more foliage already affected but not visible to the eye. It never fails with gray mold if you see only one branch and spray with the bleach then the next day you see it has already affected at least several more recognizable by the shriveled leaves.

I'm really looking forward to spraying down everything before I plant next season and see if it delays the appearance of diseases.

Bill

[dipchip2000]

Bill

I really believe it was the combination of spraying with the bleach, then covering with weed cloth and finally a heavy mulch of wheat straw that effectively worked against soil born diseases. basically 3 barriers against disease. The air born diseases must be fought swiftly as they arrive.
My tomato beds are non existent today because of 110 mph straight line winds. It also took the roof off the front of my house and totally destroyed 4 large trees in my yard. I meet with insurance adjuster on Tuesday. Because of health reasons I will have much fewer plants next year but will use what I have learned to get the moct out of what plants I do grow. Good luck with the fall plantings.

ron

I even spray down the cages and any hardware with the bleach solution

[ScottinAtlanta]

I wonder if it is worth spraying the top soil of containers with the 10% bleach solution at the end of each season to kill any spores? Good thread, folks.

[kath]

Originally Posted by dipchip2000

My tomato beds are non existent today because of 110 mph straight line winds. It also took the roof off the front of my house and totally destroyed 4 large trees in my yard. I meet with insurance adjuster on Tuesday.

I'm so sorry to hear about the extensive damage you suffered as a result of the extreme weather that moved through your area, Ron, and hope that you will be satisfied with the results of your meeting on Tuesday. Very glad that apparently no one in your home was injured.

kath

[dipchip2000]

Kath

No one injured locally, just massive damage. Feeling very lucky under the circumstances.

ron

[b54red]

Sorry to hear of your loses and health problems. Good luck in recovering from both.

Bill

[rick9748]

Like your approach.Keep us informed.Foliar diseas are hell to fight in central South Carolina.July & August 95+s for 25/30 days with max humidity.

[b54red]

I did a similar treatment to my beds this spring; but instead of spraying the soil I prepared the beds as usual, covered them with cypress mulch and sprayed down the mulch. If I waited several weeks after preparing the beds I sprayed them again before planting. It’s been 2 months since I planted my first tomatoes which have been receiving their usual weekly fungicide spray and no diseases so far. I think our unusually low humidity this year has helped also.

I will be planting another batch of tomatoes this week.

Bill