Romas Self-pruning Disease Off?

aninocentangel · June 19, 2009

We've had a lot of rain this year (Yay! We're out of drought conditions!) and my roma hybrids sprawled all over before I could get a support up for them. Last week we fertilized them with tomato tone and got them up off the ground; a good 1/3 of their bottom leaves were all yellow and brown and spotty. I figured it was septoria or bacterial spot and intended to get out there and prune and started looking at sprays but then I had an accident and am now laid up for a good two weeks.
Yesterday I noticed that the plants have abscised the diseased areas and it doesn't appear to be spreading like it usually does. One of them is also putting on new growth and more flowers. I thought that this might be because they're hybrids and thus tolerant/resistant to a lot of creeping cruds, but one of the romas had been reclining at the base of a young heirloom Hillbilly* plant, which also had the same spotting and yellowing, and it has already recovered. The Cherokee Purples and the Weeping Charlies right next to them are so far unaffected and growing happily.
Unfortunately I'm out of batteries for the camera so I can't post pictures, but there really isn't anything to show now except plants that have bare spots where the branches and leaves withered up and dropped off.
I really thought this was the start of the creeping crud but now I'm baffled as to what's going on and how to handle it. Do I start spraying even though there's no new damage and the old damage is disappearing?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Enjay

*This poor Hillbilly plant has been through heck and high water this year lol. Right after transplanting it was trampled to the ground several times by the dog, had half of it's roots exposed and pruned when she dug a hole, got infested with an ant colony that almost took it out, and now this. It's slow growing but it's still going, and only 4 or so inches smaller than the two other Hillbilly plants, which have been unscathed thus far. I'm thinking this one has earned the right to have it's seeds saved!

June 19, 2009	#1
aninocentangel Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: 8a Coastal SC Posts: 251	Romas Self-pruning Disease Off? We've had a lot of rain this year (Yay! We're out of drought conditions!) and my roma hybrids sprawled all over before I could get a support up for them. Last week we fertilized them with tomato tone and got them up off the ground; a good 1/3 of their bottom leaves were all yellow and brown and spotty. I figured it was septoria or bacterial spot and intended to get out there and prune and started looking at sprays but then I had an accident and am now laid up for a good two weeks. Yesterday I noticed that the plants have abscised the diseased areas and it doesn't appear to be spreading like it usually does. One of them is also putting on new growth and more flowers. I thought that this might be because they're hybrids and thus tolerant/resistant to a lot of creeping cruds, but one of the romas had been reclining at the base of a young heirloom Hillbilly* plant, which also had the same spotting and yellowing, and it has already recovered. The Cherokee Purples and the Weeping Charlies right next to them are so far unaffected and growing happily. Unfortunately I'm out of batteries for the camera so I can't post pictures, but there really isn't anything to show now except plants that have bare spots where the branches and leaves withered up and dropped off. I really thought this was the start of the creeping crud but now I'm baffled as to what's going on and how to handle it. Do I start spraying even though there's no new damage and the old damage is disappearing? Thanks for your thoughts, Enjay *This poor Hillbilly plant has been through heck and high water this year lol. Right after transplanting it was trampled to the ground several times by the dog, had half of it's roots exposed and pruned when she dug a hole, got infested with an ant colony that almost took it out, and now this. It's slow growing but it's still going, and only 4 or so inches smaller than the two other Hillbilly plants, which have been unscathed thus far. I'm thinking this one has earned the right to have it's seeds saved!