Late Tomato Blight

14 years ago

Hey, why didn't somebody tell me that there was a huge problem with blight this year? That big box stores had pulled infected plants from their shelves, and even Bonnie Plants are involved? I went out and saw what looked like, well, it's hard to describe. I had the most beautiful tomato plants that are now wilting and covered in these funky dark spots. Those spots don't go through the stem, just the outer layer but is this the dreaded blight? I can't believe I spent all that time this spring growing these plants from seed.

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Comments (10)

tom_va
14 years ago
Welcome to long periods of wet weather.

We've lost virtually all of our tomatoes and it seems they "go" in a day or two.
rdback
14 years ago
Yep. That long, wet, cool Spring we had just about ruined everything. Our tomatoes actually have Early Blight, which takes a little longer to kill them. Late Blight gets them in just a few days.

Join the Tomato Misery Crowd.

Rick
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I read an article on 'Solarization' yesterday. I did a search on using copper sulfate in the garden as a 'remedy' for the late tomato blight. My grandmother told me to start looking for it asap because everyone would be after it. The article states that copper sulfate and others weren't effective but covering your garden in thick plastic and cooking/sterilizing the soil would work more effectively. Any thoughts? I have lots of organic matter in my garden right now and was going to till it under and start again. I have last years grass clippings as mulch, leaves, old plants from last year and new weeds growing. I grew all of my tomatoes from purchased, heirloom & traded seeds. One day the tomato plants were gorgeous... the next day, all dead. I had no purchased plants... must be a neighbor did. :( http://thesuperbherbs.blogspot.com/2010/03/thyme-to-think-about-tomato-blight-and.html This is the link for the article.... I'm not sure if I put the 'link' in the 'Optional Link URL' correctly. What do you think should work? and yes, I'll be headed over to the tomato forum as well. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Thme to think about Tomato Blight
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The tomatoes have been dribbling in one to a few at a time, but today I was able to pick my first basket, only 2/3 full, 16" across by 5" deep. Last year I picked a basket every few days. But I did have 90 plants instead of 24. I finished my pvc pipe tomato house and covered it with plastic the day before the end of summer rains started. But to prevent it from being blown away like last year I ran the plastic to the ground so it has basically no ventilation. I'm seeing more mold, especially at the stem end or in cracks. I don't know if opening the plastic up a little on a sunny day might help that... I know I am going to devote more space and time to other vegetables that are not so picky, like beans, cucumbers, squash, and greens. I've seen a couple of other local gardens recently that had very large and lush plants with very few tomatoes set on, or lots of tomatoes but very few ripe. It's a tough year. Here is a link that might be useful: my tomato house
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It is neither early blight nor late blight. Right now I would say that they have a bit of septoria. If I look closely at one or two of those photos, there are some signs of it. Also, there could be an issue with either over-watering or soggy soil that's not draining well. Of course, we can't do a lot about all this rain, *sigh*. For the septoria, which doesn't look horrible right now, I would use a fungicide for vegetables - one that contains Chlorothalonil (Daconil, Ortho Garden). Use according to package directions. All fungicides must be used as preventatives; none are curative. They will not kill existing disease but will keep it from starting and spreading. And, they must be applied regularly. If you are gardening organically, I would go with one of the copper-based fungicides. Follow package directions for dilutions and frequency of application. Now I'll let you in on a little secret here in the Northeast: :-) Septoria is usually transient. Once the weather dries out and the temps increase, it will stop progressing. It is the cool, wet weather that creates the environment for it to thrive. So, you don't normally get a fungicide just for septoria. However, a fungicide will help prevent early blight, which is very common and far more difficult to arrest. And, if there happens to be any late blight around, it will help to prevent that as well. So it's worth using to prevent other fungal diseases. You can remove the affected leaves, but don't feel that you have to remove every leaf that has a small spot or two. As the septoria stops, it will just leave a few spots on an otherwise perfectly good leaf. However, if you're looking at cool temps and rain for another week, you may want to be more aggressive about removing affected leaves. Some folks say that you should bag the affected foliage and throw it in the garbage to prevent the spread of disease. Do that, but don't think it will forever eliminate septoria and early blight. Those fungi are all over -- in the air, in rain droplets -- so you can be extremely fastidious and still get those fungus diseases. Just an FYI. Happy gardening!
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I think I've got it on the border of Hartford/Litchfield counties. The Glacier tomatoes are about finished anyway, will pull them this weekend, but I see stem lesions on the Bloody Butchers next to them. Do the spots scrape off with a fingernail, or do they go deeper into the tissue? Not seeing sporulation. Might not be LB since I can scrape the discoloration off pretty easily, but the garden is looking pretty bad after 2" of rain on Sat and a couple of nights below 45. The only plants really hanging in there are the Sudduth BWs, and since there aren't that many left of any size, harvest will pretty much be over next week. BKs are about done for (lots of dying leaves though no stem lesions), Speckled Romans are falling off the plants (though plants don't look too bad, these are supposed to be Ind. but I wonder since there don't seem to be any new fruit forming), cherry tom stems look really bad (exactly like the picture on usablight website) and aren't scraping off as easily so I'll probably be pulling everything but BB this weekend. My second planting in another area is looking good, but I really should have suckered and strung them up (vertical string) better, lots of green tomatoes of all varieties, again maybe no time for BWs to ripen but might get some Bloody Butchers and Black Krims over the next month if the weather cooperates. And the few potato plants still alive look great! Been awful lately for fungal diseases though - I pulled almost all my pumpkins last weekend b/c of downy mildew (the cukes went long ago), the zukes are on their last legs so will be pulling those as well this w/e, but my second planting of yellow straightneck and my gourds are getting it, I don't even know if I'll get anything off of them. Time to just pull all the annuals I guess and start putting the perennials (berries) to bed for the winter...
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tom_va
14 years ago
We now have lost 'em all---even the green ones we picked that did not have any spots went bad in two days. Guess we had close to 400 plants out.

Oh well, guess there is always next year.

Regards,

Tom
tazebell
Original Author
14 years ago
Sorry to hear that guys. In a way, it makes me feel less alone in my misery. It's just sickening to look out there and see the vast nothingness that once held such promise!

We had just gone out and done some Florida weave (which I like) and some staking when this funk was noticed. And it was by the next day or so that it was dreadful.

So what do we do now with the ground and stakes, even the blue mulch I was using (to increase production. ha)? Do we have to somehow 'sanitize' the stuff or just let it dry out once the 'mater mess is cleaned up? I would like to plant some late season varieties or at least overwinter all those pots of daffodils and tulips I kept in the garage last winter and tended to forget about watering.

One thing I am contemplating is going to the local produce market and buying a case of those "tennessee tomatoes" to put up for the winter, because I am wondering just how pricey or hard to find some tomato products might be. Of course they won't be anything like all those special tomatoes I was growing - some heirlooms and several blacks, and those cherokee purples. Maybe next year, you say Tom?

Finally, I was talking with a guy at the pop shop about this mess (everybody has been hit here) and he compared this weather to Vietnam when he was there! We should have planted rice, perhaps?
hankg_gw
14 years ago
Tom, Where are you? I'm still Late Blight free just east of Front Royal. I started spraying as soon as I heard of the early spread of the disease. I have lost many plants over the years, but I can't even imagine a wipe-out. Hank
tom_va
14 years ago
If you'll google "tomato late blight in ground" you'll get a lot of info. They recommend destroying the plants and the main "carrier" of the spores seems to be potato vines if I read correctly, and I admit I didn't look closely. The outbreak was VERY wide spread and if any SINGLE plant has it, it produces tons of spores so it is kinda hard to keep everything looked at.

I don't think you'll have to sterilize anything but double-check the articles to be sure.

Buying tomatoes might be tricky this year. I may call the local Amish market down in Giles county to see about tomatoes if we need to can much. I did call them about cucumbers. Tazebell, I'll gladly give you the number for them if you want it. It would not be an overly long drive for you.

Of course next year....I'm a farmer---->there ALWAYS is next year :-)

You didn't get over to the g/h this season did you? Was looking forward to meeting you.

Regards,

Tom
tom_va
14 years ago
I'm not close to you; I'm in southwest VA close to where
I-77 and I-81 cross.

Where late blight is a problem, I think the growers have to spray weekly to help keep it in check.

But we've had plenty of other stuff out of the garden so it COULD have been worse :-)

Regards,

Tom
machette
14 years ago
I am about an hour west of Tom VA, and the blight hit me to. Yes, it is everywhere! :( I have been studying a bit of chemical free gardening, and I have noticed that I have done a few things correctly and a few things incorrectly this year to protect my plants from the blight. Correctly in that, when I water my tomatoes, I only spray the water hose toward the roots, not the whole plant. I was incorrect in that I like to water in the evening so the water has more time to soak in, when I should have been watering in the morning to help them stay dry. etc. etc.

Being a small gardener, next year I am going to separate my plants all around my back yard.

I do not remember the article or have the link now, but I did save an excerpt from an article that I would like to share... Good luck to everyone next year.

ps. I have never raised Ferline and Legend tomatoes, so can not comment on their reputation as mentioned below.

How to prevent tomato blight

This fungal infection is caused by wet or damp conditions and effects the leaves first. If growing outside provide some kind of shelter for your plants if possible. Wet leaves are ok for a few hours, but over-night in cold conditions followed by another wet day will lower the plants defenses.

Ferline and Legend are supposed to be blight tolerant - that is they have a greater defense against blight than other varieties.

Suggestions to follow:

* Keep tomato leaves dry - provide some shelter from the rain if possible.
* Water in the morning to that plants are not stood in excess water overnight.
* Remove some of the lower leaves (by pulling off - not cutting) if they show signs of infection.
* DonÂt touch leaves of plants and spread the disease on fingers.
kurtiskouns
7 years ago
hey guys,

im in southern WV (west virginia) and i think blight has hit this area too. pretty bad.

this is my first year to be at the lead of the garden as my grandfather passed and i moved in to take care of granny,

any ideas for things to put on the blight?

in my case, being a newbie gardener i was told it may not be blight, as its only the leaves turning yellow with black "burn" marks... and stems yellowing. nothing on the tomatoes (yet).

i try to go organic but would rather save the crops and use a pesticide or something like that if need be.

thanks any help is appreciated..

sorry to jump in the virginia board... I'm only 40 minute from the border..... ;)
wcthomas
7 years ago
So far the only late blight reported in WV is in Walla Walla county up north. See http://usablight.org/map to keep track. You may have another of the many diseases that tomatoes are subject to. Late blight is the worse - total wipe out within a week!

TomVA

Late Tomato Blight

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