Information and discussion regarding garden diseases, insects and other unwelcome critters.
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March 16, 2013 | #1 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 44
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Blight Prevention when Planting
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to prevent blight when planting and as they grow. Every year we get big beautiful plants, and just when the larger tomatoes start to produce, blight wipes it out. I would appreciate any recommendations on how to prevent this in the future.
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March 16, 2013 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
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Are we talking about Early Blight? Septoria?
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March 17, 2013 | #3 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Start a regular weekly spraying of Daconil as soon as the plants have been set out into the garden. This will greatly reduce the incidence of blight and many other foliage diseases.
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March 17, 2013 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Illinois, zone 6
Posts: 8,407
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Mulch helps to keep rain from splashing dirt on your leaves, which can spread fungal disease. Overhead watering is bad for that reason, too, plus plants don't like wet leaves.
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March 17, 2013 | #5 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 44
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I started spraying Daconil when the plants got larger. I planned to spray from the very beginning this year. I know someone who puts bleach in the hole several months before planting and it seems to help him. Has anyone tried that or another soil amendment when they plant to prevent Blight.
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March 17, 2013 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: South Florida
Posts: 40
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Remove the bottom leaves. They're the first to get disease and they bread it upwards.
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March 18, 2013 | #7 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 44
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Thanks for the information. Would anyone recommend spraying the area, tomato cages, etc. with bleach solution or Daconyl?
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March 18, 2013 | #8 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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Have you read up on fusarium wilt? It sounds like that may be a large part of your problem. If that is what is killing your plants then the only real solution is planting varieties that will resist its destruction for longer. The problem with these varieties is they are not really good eating tomatoes most of the time. The one variety that I have found that is both a decent tasting tomato and also has half way good resistance to fusarium is Big Beef.
I have been dealing with an extremely high rate of fusarium wilt in my soil since I started gardening here 35 years ago. Most of the heirloom varieties have very little resistance to fusarium but some are better than others. In order to grow a decent amount of heirloom tomatoes in my ground I have for years just planted a large amount of plants and kept new ones ready to replace them as they die. It is a lot of work and extremely frustrating. I have had my best luck with the following varieties producing a decent crop most of the time despite fusarium: Indian Stripe, Cherokee Purple, Neves Azorean Red, Spudakee, Dana's Dusky Rose, Lumpy Red, Zogola, Black Krim, Eva Purple Ball, Andrew Rahart's Jumbo Red, Berkley Tie Dye Pink, Dr. Wyches Yellow, JD's Special C Tex, Kosovo, and Stump of the World. The hybrids that have produced the best are Big Beef, Jetsetter, Floralina, and Celebrity. I am getting too old and having too many health issues to do the amount of work required when constantly replacing plants so this year I am experimenting with grafting some of my favorite heirlooms onto more fusarium resistant rootstock in hopes my plants will be able to withstand the disease long enough to produce a decent crop before the disease kills them. There is a long thread on fusarium wilt on this forum which might give you some help as well as a good thread on grafting tomatoes. I suggest you find out what exactly is killing your tomatoes because there are so many things that can kill them such as fusarium wilt, root knot nematodes, bacterial wilt, TSWV, or a host of pests and foliage diseases. This year when one of your plants gets sick with what seems to be the culprit just pull it up roots and all and take it to your county agricultural agent and see if he can tell you what your problem is. Good Luck. Bill |
March 18, 2013 | #9 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 44
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I believe it it early blight
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March 18, 2013 | #10 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Posts: 5,346
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http://www.settfest.com/2009/01/pests-and-diseases/
General Disease Prevention Suggestions
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March 18, 2013 | #11 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NY Zone 5b/6a
Posts: 546
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Early blight can be controlled with regular applications of Daconil and proper care.
You only need to know a few things: Apply Daconil according to label instructions for mixing and frequency, plus once the leaves dry after every rain. Don't touch or work on the plants when they are wet. (In fact you shouldn't be in the garden at all when it's wet). Keep the plants dry. Water the soil, not the plant. When you water, water gently, close to the soil so it doesn't splash from the soil to the lower leaves. Remove (prune off) any diseased plant material just before you apply Daconil. As you prune, clean your pruning tools off between each plant, as not to spread the disease. I wipe them with alcohol using cotton rounds, but you should probably use water with a little bleach. Don't compost or bury what you remove. Keep your garden clean of the debris. Charlie Last edited by Got Worms?; March 18, 2013 at 07:07 PM. |
March 20, 2013 | #12 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Vernon, BC
Posts: 720
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I just saw this product on Amazon.com and was wandering if this might be good to jack up the Potash and if it is would this be good to add to the soil before planting out to help the tomatoes from getting disease?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00..._email_1p_6_ti "Promotes plant vigor and disease-resistance" and the ratio: " Analysis 0-0-60". Does anyone have a history of using potash? Al |
March 21, 2013 | #13 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Cheektowaga, NY
Posts: 2,466
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Quote:
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March 21, 2013 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E
Posts: 5,041
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The first thing we need to do is inoculate the seedling with beneficial fungi and bacteria during plant out. Why, because we want these beneficial fungi and bacteria to establish a symbiotic relationship between the roots and the rhizophere that the plant will be growing in.
Once the relationship is established the plant growth will increase due to increased nutrient uptake and at the same time this symbiotic relationship will help the plant protect itself against disease. How, by making a dip solution containing beneficial fungi and bacteria. I use MycoGrow soluable, Actinovate and Biota-Max. Dip the plants root ball in the dip, remove and allow to drain and plant. Couldn't be easier. Ami
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!' Last edited by amideutch; March 21, 2013 at 09:17 AM. |
March 23, 2013 | #15 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: May 2008
Location: zone 5 Colorado
Posts: 942
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Thanks for this info, Ami - do you usually follow the dilution directions on the labels and then combine them together for the root ball dip?
I've had early blight for the past 3 years and really want to give the plants a better chance of staying clear of this problem. |
Tags |
blight , blight preventation |
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