Does anyone here have a spray schedule?

barryla61 · July 18, 2012

I worked an apple orchard for years and we had specific times for specific sprays...certain stages in growth when we would apply fungicides, pesticides, foliar fertilizers etc.

Is there something similar for tomatoes?

PA_Julia · July 18, 2012

When I receive one to two showers I apply fungicide once the plants are dry.
When there is very little to no moisture I apply fungicide every two weeks.
I do not wait until there is a problem thus the reason why I have had little to no issues concerning plant disease.
Insecticides I will wait until I see something until I spray.

I inspect my plants thoroughly almost every day.

Being on this schedule allows me to be well within maximum tolerances for human consumption of sprayed plants.

It's always better to be proactive rather than reactive.

Julia

Farmette · July 18, 2012

I get the proactive thing, but can't help but worry about spraying now when it is so dry, but humid, that with the plants being so lush, the leaves will have trouble drying out and I'll end up with disease...where now I have none. What do you all think?

PA_Julia · July 18, 2012

As long has you have good air flow through the plant you would be fine.
My tomato plants dry pretty quickly and I live in humidity like you.
Most plant diseases don't develop to the point of destruction within the amount of time it takes for the plants to dry out.

If you see the start of something while in the middle of a spraying schedule then apply fungicide at that time.

Julia

RebelRidin · July 18, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by Farmette

I get the proactive thing, but can't help but worry about spraying now when it is so dry, but humid, that with the plants being so lush, the leaves will have trouble drying out and I'll end up with disease...where now I have none. What do you all think?

I agree with Julia. I try to spray in the morning after the dew is off and before 10:00. This lets the spray readily dry (as opposed to spraying in the evening) and avoids risking damage that can come with spraying in excessive heat and sun. I did this during our recent 103 F spell with no problems. It was up around 90 at the times I was spraying.

I am spraying Danconil at first decent day after a drencing thunderstorm or every two weeks. I never spray pesticides on anything without observing specific need. This means I almost never spray tomatoes here. I do not foliar feed tomatoes.

b54red · July 19, 2012

One thing you can do is clip out some of the foliage in the center or really dense areas to allow more air flow and then spray with Daconil. Opening up those really thick areas makes spraying more effective because it is easier to hit all of the leaves.

Down here where humidity is king if I allow a plant to get really lush, dense and beautiful it is shortly followed by massive foliage disease so I have to keep my plants fairly open. Sometimes in the fall if it is really dry I can allow them to get a bit thicker but then the humidity is lower as are the temps.

rxkeith · July 19, 2012

schedule is determined by what diseases or pests may show up in your area. late blight was a problem in lower michigan 2 and 3 years ago. the first year caught me by surprise, and wiped most everything out. the second year i was spraying daconil every week. where i live now in the upper peninsula, there isn't much of a disease issue. frost and deer are my two main concerns. can't spray for them.

keith

PA_Julia · July 19, 2012

Yes Keith but you do get to shoot deer in certain areas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rxkeith

schedule is determined by what diseases or pests may show up in your area. late blight was a problem in lower michigan 2 and 3 years ago. the first year caught me by surprise, and wiped most everything out. the second year i was spraying daconil every week. where i live now in the upper peninsula, there isn't much of a disease issue. frost and deer are my two main concerns. can't spray for them.

keith

July 18, 2012	#1
barryla61 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Bedford, VA Posts: 257	Does anyone here have a spray schedule? I worked an apple orchard for years and we had specific times for specific sprays...certain stages in growth when we would apply fungicides, pesticides, foliar fertilizers etc. Is there something similar for tomatoes?

July 18, 2012	#2
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	When I receive one to two showers I apply fungicide once the plants are dry. When there is very little to no moisture I apply fungicide every two weeks. I do not wait until there is a problem thus the reason why I have had little to no issues concerning plant disease. Insecticides I will wait until I see something until I spray. I inspect my plants thoroughly almost every day. Being on this schedule allows me to be well within maximum tolerances for human consumption of sprayed plants. It's always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Julia __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013 Last edited by PA_Julia; July 18, 2012 at 06:47 PM.

July 18, 2012	#4
PA_Julia Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Princeton, Ky Zone 7A Posts: 2,208	As long has you have good air flow through the plant you would be fine. My tomato plants dry pretty quickly and I live in humidity like you. Most plant diseases don't develop to the point of destruction within the amount of time it takes for the plants to dry out. If you see the start of something while in the middle of a spraying schedule then apply fungicide at that time. Julia __________________ Personal Best- 4.46 LB Big Zac 2013

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July 18, 2012	#3
Farmette Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 985	I get the proactive thing, but can't help but worry about spraying now when it is so dry, but humid, that with the plants being so lush, the leaves will have trouble drying out and I'll end up with disease...where now I have none. What do you all think?

July 19, 2012	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	One thing you can do is clip out some of the foliage in the center or really dense areas to allow more air flow and then spray with Daconil. Opening up those really thick areas makes spraying more effective because it is easier to hit all of the leaves. Down here where humidity is king if I allow a plant to get really lush, dense and beautiful it is shortly followed by massive foliage disease so I have to keep my plants fairly open. Sometimes in the fall if it is really dry I can allow them to get a bit thicker but then the humidity is lower as are the temps.

July 19, 2012	#7
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,848	schedule is determined by what diseases or pests may show up in your area. late blight was a problem in lower michigan 2 and 3 years ago. the first year caught me by surprise, and wiped most everything out. the second year i was spraying daconil every week. where i live now in the upper peninsula, there isn't much of a disease issue. frost and deer are my two main concerns. can't spray for them. keith