What the heck? Late blight?! Please help - Page 3

Stepheninky · July 9, 2011

Not sure where I saw it posted maybe here at Tville but read somewhere that a Russian practice is to insert a copper wire 18 gauge into the stem of tomatoes. It is supposed to as the copper reacts to the acid in the tomato plant, the tomato uptakes the copper helping to act as a fungicide. This is done when the plants are in the seedling stage as a preventative.

Have not yet tried this myself (knock on wood have not had to) but thought I would throw it out there as an ideal

Here is one study
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms/2000...tionGarden.pdf

**carolyn137** · July 9, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stepheninky

Not sure where I saw it posted maybe here at Tville but read somewhere that a Russian practice is to insert a copper wire 18 gauge into the stem of tomatoes. It is supposed to as the copper reacts to the acid in the tomato plant, the tomato uptakes the copper helping to act as a fungicide. This is done when the plants are in the seedling stage as a preventative.

Have not yet tried this myself (knock on wood have not had to) but thought I would throw it out there as an ideal

Here is one study
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms/2000...tionGarden.pdf

I don't know if it was a Russian practice but at least 20 years ago Chuck Wyatt and some others tried it and weren't impressed at all. Chuck , now deceased, was the owner of a website that sold tomato seeds and was also a major presence on Compuserve at the time and a close friend of mine.

Out of the five varieties tested in the above trial 3 showed some increase and two were about the same. But that was for yield.

I don't think I've seen any trials where plants with copper wires inserted were then challenged with Late Blight, but to be honest I've never researched that so don't know what's out there, but remain cautious on relying on absorption of copper to deter LB.

And I'm also confessing that I didn't read the whole link above either.

Stepheninky · July 9, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I don't know if it was a Russian practice but at least 20 years ago Chuck Wyatt and some others tried it and weren't impressed at all. Chuck , now deceased, was the owner of a website that sold tomato seeds and was also a major presence on Compuserve at the time and a close friend of mine.

Out of the five varieties tested in the above trial 3 showed some increase and two were about the same. But that was for yield.

I don't think I've seen any trials where plants with copper wires inserted were then challenged with Late Blight, but to be honest I've never researched that so don't know what's out there, but remain cautious on relying on absorption of copper to deter LB.

And I'm also confessing that I didn't read the whole link above either.

Most definitely, from what I have researched on it myself most report little to no difference. I think in the referenced link the H2O2 that was applied might have been what helped the most. It does note that there was a very slight increase in copper in the plants. I have seen other say they put a penny in the planting hole. Though again have not tried either so really as stated do not know if it would work or not.

Mark0820 · August 9, 2011

This was my first year using the active ingredient chlorothalonil to combat early blight, and I couldn't be happier with the results. It has been a few weeks since I last sprayed, but my plants almost look like they never were exposed to early blight. As I pick tomatoes, I do remove the leaves up to the next set of green tomatoes so all of the energy goes into the production of the tomatoes, but I can say it has been many years since my tomato plants looked this healthy at this point of the season.

I am also very impressed with the results on my rose bushes. With the humidity we have in Cincinnati, black spot is always a problem here. This year I sprayed the rose bushes just one time with Ortho Max Disease Control, and I might have one or two leaves on each bush with black spot on it.

I know some people don't like to use chemicals (and I use them as little as possible), but chlorothalonil is one of the most effective active ingredients I can remember using.

July 9, 2011	#31
Stepheninky Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kentucky Posts: 682	Not sure where I saw it posted maybe here at Tville but read somewhere that a Russian practice is to insert a copper wire 18 gauge into the stem of tomatoes. It is supposed to as the copper reacts to the acid in the tomato plant, the tomato uptakes the copper helping to act as a fungicide. This is done when the plants are in the seedling stage as a preventative. Have not yet tried this myself (knock on wood have not had to) but thought I would throw it out there as an ideal Here is one study http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms/2000...tionGarden.pdf __________________ tomatoprojects.blogspot.com Last edited by Stepheninky; July 9, 2011 at 10:28 AM. Reason: add link

August 9, 2011	#34
Mark0820 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 907	This was my first year using the active ingredient chlorothalonil to combat early blight, and I couldn't be happier with the results. It has been a few weeks since I last sprayed, but my plants almost look like they never were exposed to early blight. As I pick tomatoes, I do remove the leaves up to the next set of green tomatoes so all of the energy goes into the production of the tomatoes, but I can say it has been many years since my tomato plants looked this healthy at this point of the season. I am also very impressed with the results on my rose bushes. With the humidity we have in Cincinnati, black spot is always a problem here. This year I sprayed the rose bushes just one time with Ortho Max Disease Control, and I might have one or two leaves on each bush with black spot on it. I know some people don't like to use chemicals (and I use them as little as possible), but chlorothalonil is one of the most effective active ingredients I can remember using.