Can you recommend Organic safe anti-fungal spray please?

linzelu100 · May 22, 2013

I have early blight for the first time

Boo hoo! It has been so humid on our land and just wet wet wet! Can you recommend something organic, that you have used. I am not sure which anti-fungal spray to use.

Lindsey

Elliot · May 23, 2013

I went to my local garden store with my own tales of "fungus" woes and they recommend an organic antifungal called Actinovate. You mix it with water and spray the plants and soak the roots.

ContainerTed · May 23, 2013

I can't be sure, but I was told that "Garden Safe" was on the organic list. I get it at Walmart and Lowes carries some products. A bottle of concentrate is about $16 bucks.

Crandrew · May 23, 2013

IIRC actinovate is only good as a preventative measure. Once you have something you'll need to go another route. But somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

ginger2778 · May 23, 2013

Liquid copper fungicide is an organic concentrate.
Marsha

Master_Gardener · May 23, 2013

I can not speak to this from personal experience. I do use AACT, Actively Aerated Compost Tea and a whitepaper or two from Dr. Ingham speaks specifically about using AACT to control blight. It supposedly works on powdery mildew also.

You might try scholar.google.com and search for "AACT blight" or "Compost Tea blight" to find the whitepaper.

Dewayne mater · May 23, 2013

Exel LG a/k/a organicide Plant Doctor is a systemic fungicide. It mixes well with actinovate. Remove those infected leaves and dispose, then promptly spray making sure to get tops and bottoms of leaves. Good luck.

Dewayne Mater

Also, as I learned this year, measure carefully, because if you put out Excel LG at too high a rate, especially on younger plants, you can cause some leaf burn. Mine did recover from it, but, it was a setback.

linzelu100 · May 23, 2013

I went to Lowes today, thinking they would have the biggest selection. I was wrong though, they only had one and it was called Eco Smart and it is organic. I gave it a try today for the first time. Unfortunately it was too late for some of the tomatoes- I lost all my brandywine (which were effected most severly) and cherokee purples (which are my favorite

boo hoo). Hopefully, my other 80 plants survive. It seems like every few days I am losing some. It has been so WET here- hopefuly the rest pull through or else it will be a very uninteresting growing season.

Thanks for all the helpful tips

Lindsey

linzelu100 · May 23, 2013

On a side note, to anyone who is interested, I did observe that while every plant has become infected with early blight to some degree, there was one variety that is free and clear and healthy. It is called Gypsy. I got it as a free pack from Baker Creek. It is supposed to be a deep hued purple tomato. I grew it as a trial, but I am more interested now considering it maybe blight resistant.

bower · May 23, 2013

Boil willow branches, steep and cool overnight, and feed to the infected plants. Salicylates stimulate the plant's resistance to disease.

I also do a daily sanitation routine and remove all bad leaves - that may not be practical if you have many plants or extensive leaf infection.

amideutch · May 24, 2013

Quote:

Boil willow branches, steep and cool overnight, and feed to the infected plants. Salicylates stimulate the plant's resistance to disease.

If you do not have willow branches dissolve 1 Aspirin in a gallon of water and use as a foliar. Aspirin is derived from the willow and also provides the Salicylates.

Ami

Crandrew · May 25, 2013

Ami,
When are you going to start up your picture thread?

Eric02476 · June 1, 2013

Once you have it, you will probably not get rid of early blight with any fungicide - organic or otherwise - but you can usually slow it down. Spraying with organic fungicides mentioned here (copper, Actinovate, Exel lg/agri-fos, etc) is probably worthwhile if the affected plants are still growing and have healthy leaves, although they may be of more benefit in preventing secondary infections, as few of these are actually labeled for Early Blight (Ami would know for sure). You could also try Serenade, a biofungicide that's sometimes easier to find.

As others have suggested, you should also remove diseased leaves and branches, taking care not to brush infected leaves against healthy ones. Wash your hands before moving to another plant, and you might sterilize your pruners, if used, by dipping in a dilute bleach solution.

It's very difficult to avoid getting some early blight unless you spray preventative fungicides religiously from the get-go, but with some diligence I often manage to preserve a decent harvest before the plant eventually succumbs.

linzelu100 · June 1, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric02476

Once you have it, you will probably not get rid of early blight with any fungicide - organic or otherwise - but you can usually slow it down. Spraying with organic fungicides mentioned here (copper, Actinovate, Exel lg/agri-fos, etc) is probably worthwhile if the affected plants are still growing and have healthy leaves, although they may be of more benefit in preventing secondary infections, as few of these are actually labeled for Early Blight (Ami would know for sure). You could also try Serenade, a biofungicide that's sometimes easier to find.

As others have suggested, you should also remove diseased leaves and branches, taking care not to brush infected leaves against healthy ones. Wash your hands before moving to another plant, and you might sterilize your pruners, if used, by dipping in a dilute bleach solution.

It's very difficult to avoid getting some early blight unless you spray preventative fungicides religiously from the get-go, but with some diligence I often manage to preserve a decent harvest before the plant eventually succumbs.

Yea they are still spreading. i thought i was doing it wrong. Now seem to have new disease. solid black. Spots. I don't know what to do. I never experienced this before. I feel like a failure. 100 plants may be lost. All that work and I may not get any tomatoes. 1 plant gypsy is fine though, but growing very slow.

Eric02476 · June 2, 2013

Lindsey, I'm sorry you're having such terrible problems with so many plants. That is so very frustrating. You are not a failure - sometimes, disease just gets a foothold due to a bad run of wet weather or just plain bad luck.

Once plants are weakened by one disease, they can be prone to secondary infections. Black spots could be a number of things both fungal or bacterial. If you can carefully prune off diseased tissue while leaving enough healthy leaves for the plants to grow, that should help (although for 100 plants, that's a lot of work, I know). Spraying organic preventive fungicides should help protect new growth or at least slow down disease progression enough to get some tomatoes. None of this will eradicate fungal diseases but it may help.

Good luck!

Eric

May 22, 2013	#1
linzelu100 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 447	Can you recommend Organic safe anti-fungal spray please? I have early blight for the first time Boo hoo! It has been so humid on our land and just wet wet wet! Can you recommend something organic, that you have used. I am not sure which anti-fungal spray to use. Lindsey

May 23, 2013	#3
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	I can't be sure, but I was told that "Garden Safe" was on the organic list. I get it at Walmart and Lowes carries some products. A bottle of concentrate is about $16 bucks. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

May 23, 2013	#2
Elliot Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hicksville, New York Posts: 503	I went to my local garden store with my own tales of "fungus" woes and they recommend an organic antifungal called Actinovate. You mix it with water and spray the plants and soak the roots.

May 23, 2013	#4
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	IIRC actinovate is only good as a preventative measure. Once you have something you'll need to go another route. But somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

May 23, 2013	#5
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Liquid copper fungicide is an organic concentrate. Marsha

May 23, 2013	#6
Master_Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Central Indiana 6a/41 Posts: 131	I can not speak to this from personal experience. I do use AACT, Actively Aerated Compost Tea and a whitepaper or two from Dr. Ingham speaks specifically about using AACT to control blight. It supposedly works on powdery mildew also. You might try scholar.google.com and search for "AACT blight" or "Compost Tea blight" to find the whitepaper.

May 23, 2013	#7
Dewayne mater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 1,212	Exel LG a/k/a organicide Plant Doctor is a systemic fungicide. It mixes well with actinovate. Remove those infected leaves and dispose, then promptly spray making sure to get tops and bottoms of leaves. Good luck. Dewayne Mater Also, as I learned this year, measure carefully, because if you put out Excel LG at too high a rate, especially on younger plants, you can cause some leaf burn. Mine did recover from it, but, it was a setback.

May 23, 2013	#10
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Boil willow branches, steep and cool overnight, and feed to the infected plants. Salicylates stimulate the plant's resistance to disease. I also do a daily sanitation routine and remove all bad leaves - that may not be practical if you have many plants or extensive leaf infection.

May 25, 2013	#12
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	Ami, When are you going to start up your picture thread?

June 1, 2013	#13
Eric02476 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Eastern Massachusetts, Zone 6a Posts: 50	Once you have it, you will probably not get rid of early blight with any fungicide - organic or otherwise - but you can usually slow it down. Spraying with organic fungicides mentioned here (copper, Actinovate, Exel lg/agri-fos, etc) is probably worthwhile if the affected plants are still growing and have healthy leaves, although they may be of more benefit in preventing secondary infections, as few of these are actually labeled for Early Blight (Ami would know for sure). You could also try Serenade, a biofungicide that's sometimes easier to find. As others have suggested, you should also remove diseased leaves and branches, taking care not to brush infected leaves against healthy ones. Wash your hands before moving to another plant, and you might sterilize your pruners, if used, by dipping in a dilute bleach solution. It's very difficult to avoid getting some early blight unless you spray preventative fungicides religiously from the get-go, but with some diligence I often manage to preserve a decent harvest before the plant eventually succumbs.

June 2, 2013	#15
Eric02476 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Eastern Massachusetts, Zone 6a Posts: 50	Lindsey, I'm sorry you're having such terrible problems with so many plants. That is so very frustrating. You are not a failure - sometimes, disease just gets a foothold due to a bad run of wet weather or just plain bad luck. Once plants are weakened by one disease, they can be prone to secondary infections. Black spots could be a number of things both fungal or bacterial. If you can carefully prune off diseased tissue while leaving enough healthy leaves for the plants to grow, that should help (although for 100 plants, that's a lot of work, I know). Spraying organic preventive fungicides should help protect new growth or at least slow down disease progression enough to get some tomatoes. None of this will eradicate fungal diseases but it may help. Good luck! Eric