Sounds like a first class garden area you've set up.

I'm NOT an organic grower. I use chemicals in limited amounts to control the pests and diseases that mother nature throws at me. I've tried the organic route and have decided it's not for me. It seems to do well in commercial greenhouses, but not here in the suburbs of "Hot-lanta", Georgia. I can purchase organic veggies cheaper than I can grow them. So, I spray.

With the "Blight Alert" for all of New England, I would be in a preventative spray mode. A lot of hard work with zero for yield is not my "cup of tea".

Ted

If you want any assured production, I think you need to start a Daconil program right now. It's too late once the funguses find your plants. I'm also mostly organic, but I bring out the big guns with funguses, meaning Ortho's Garden Disease Control.

Serenade is also an anti-fungal spray for garden plants, and it's listed as organic if you want to go that route. Some people swear by it. It's what I'll purchase after I've used up the Ortho spray.

I'd suggest you also broadcast plain old corn meal (not corn gluten) on the soil around your plants. It has strong anti-fungal properties that will protect your soil from fungal infections. Some people even spray it on their plants, though I don't know how effective that is. Researchers at Texas A&M Research Station in Stephenville, TX, noticed that a peanut crop planted following a crop of corn didnÂt suffer the usual fungus diseases. Further research showed that cornmeal contained beneficial organisms that were at least as effective as common chemical fungicides. Somehow cornmeal is able to attract a member of the Trichoderma fungus family, which is a good fungus that kills off disease causing fungi in a matter of weeks.

This is mostly common-sense stuff that you already know.

Be particularly careful about hygiene. Clean your hands, pruners, etc. before touching the plants. At the best of times, late blight lurks in the soil (ask me how I know). And while we're on the subject of dirt, add extra mulch around your plants to reduce the risk of soil-splash.

Make sure to remove all tomato waste from the yard immediately.

Am I correct in thinking you already discarded the two Home Depot plants? If not, remove them. If you want to be extra careful, bag the tops before removing them.

Copper spray can be used preventively, and is considered organic. Apparently it's not as likely to prevent late blight as the non-organic products -- but I don't know precisely how they compare. I don't know if you can use the copper spray now, then switch immediately to a non-organic method if that seems warranted.

Do you know whether any close neighbors grow tomatoes? Especially upwind neighbors? It wouldn't hurt to make sure they're aware of the problem. If they don't get blight, your tomatoes are less likely to.

If you plan on saving seeds, do it early in case blight hits before you get around to it.

The garden improvements you mentioned are permanent, so the money wasn't wasted. If this year is a bust, your retaining wall and improved soil will still be there next year.

Meanwhile, start a list of what you'll plant if the tomatoes end up having problems. Radishes, lettuce, zucchini, and snow peas will still give you a crop. Or maybe a cover crop to further improve the soil for next year?

I agree with Ted. Lots of work with zero results would be sad indeed. I prefer organic, but with a month of rain and the blight alert here in New England I'm starting a Daconil spray program right away. -Fred

I have not removed the Home Depot plants. Only one is in the garden, and it looks as healthy as the others, and is at least 3 feet tall and bushy. No hint of disease. It is an early girl and the only tomato plant that actually has tomatoes on it in the garden. The other is a Mr.Stripey my sister bought for me that is in a pot away from the garden. Actually, I can't remember where I purchased the early girl but there is a good chance it was at a big box store. The Mr. Stripey in a pot I am sure was from there. Both were purchased before any problems were discovered. If they look healthy and I spray spray and keep a close eye on them is there really any reason to pull a healthy plant? Like I said, other than the grapes and sweet100 it is the only one to have produced even one green tomato yet.

I mulched about a week ago with Mainely mulch hay that is heat treated. I only put it around the tomatoes because that is all I planted yet, but I will get some more after I plant the green beans and they come up. I gave up on squash because of squash vine borers. I may try a late crop to see if I can get some after the borers prime egg laying season is past. Green beans are pretty quick so I will try that. Yes I have removed all tomatoes leaves immediately. I may remove more because some have dirt on them from before I installed the Florida weave and mulched. No dirt gets on them now, because the mulch goes right up to the base of the plant.

I looked around and only one surrounding house has a garden, I am told the house across the street has a garden behind the house that is not visible from the street. None the properties that border mine have veg. gardens. I hope no one decides to plant a late one with big box tomatoes now that the weather has improved. There are some at the other end of the street. As whether they are upwind or downwind, it depends on which way the wind is blowing. :) They are all to my south.

I will start spraying the daconil tonight. I have a generic brand, but I assume it is just as good.

If anyone has any recommendations for other quick, "just in case" crops, please let me know. I can plant fall lettuces also. It is going make me feel a little better when I don't have just tomatoes growing. :)

Sue

Sue

I wouldn't remove that plant if it looks healthy, and it may certainly stay that way if you proactively spray it with daconil. Beginning the spraying before any funguses show up is the way to defeat them.

If you have the time and money the best way to prevent diseases from spreading starts before you even have a seedling.

Buying plants from any big box store is Russian roulette. Just like human diseases being spread easier by faster travel plant diseases now share the same luxury.

If you can, use heirloom seeds and take seed from your own plants year after year. Plant your seeds indoors under high output florescent lighting or MH lighting to give them a 1-2 month head start.

Older plants are stronger and more disease resistant if properly cared for.

By doing those thing you can create a closed circuit environment where diseased plants have no chance to enter your area.

I started all 400 of my tomato plants indoors in late Feb. By the time I put them out in mid May I only soaked them once every 5 days to encourage them to quickly build there root systems deep into the ground. This prevented them from rotting from the over 1 month of rain we got.

Most smaller plants or plants that were watered a little bit every day would have had too shallow of a root system and most rotted away with the rains.

Other methods that can be taken to make plants disease resistant include using a kelp meal foliar feeding at about 500-1000ppm once every month, corn meal sprinkled in the ground as another poster said as well as corn meal tea 2 cups corn meal (soaking in 1 gallon of water for 2-3 days shaken up every day then strained).

As many other gardeners have said before on this site, the best and most effective way to fight disease is to do all the things you can to circumvent the ability of a disease to flourish rather than outright trying to fight the disease.

Organic methods to prevent diseases from having favorable conditions and organic methods of strengthening your plants through foliar feedings are great ways to ward off disease.

Good thing you have the daconil, I hear everyone is selling out or sold out and they cant get more till September.

Sue, it also took me some pondering about whether I wanted to use a fungicide. I started out all organic, and did grow that way for probably 15 years. But after three successive bad years of having my tomatoes gradually get yellow and spotted and shrivel up so that I got little or nothing to show for all my time and effort before the end of the season, convinced me that I needed to make this compromise or not bother growing tomatoes. I do limit my use of daconil to the first part of the growing season, and normally don't spray more than three times, maybe 10 days to two weeks apart, depending on the weather. I don't bother spraying much past mid to late July, both because I don't want to spray once the green fruit has developed some size, and also because more mature plants seem to be more resistant to various blights. Even with my limited use, I rarely see any damage to leaves up until frost. I would guess that growers in the more hot and humid southern parts of the country might need more often applications for a longer period, but for the north, using just enough to get the plant through it's most active time of putting on height and leaf mass prior to setting fruit may be all that's needed. Even if you do get some disease at that point, the plant will be strong enough to keep ahead and mature most of the tomatoes.

Well, thanks everyone for your support and advise. I tried to do everything recommended. The garden is neat as a pin, no stray leaves, the ground is mulched, plants tied up with FL weave, mulch sprinkled with corn meal, and I am now down with daconil, and all tomatoes had a daconil shower. Did I miss anything?

I really don't know how to use chemicals for vegetables because I never have before. The label said use every 7 days, but will it be washed off by rain? If I have maintained a spray program and I see a few leaves here and there with LB, pull the plants or assume they got missed by the spray, remove them and keep the plant and the spray program going? UCONN recommends removing infected plants to prevent spread rather than trying to treat it, but they don't address sprayed vs unsprayed plants, and if a single leaf or two appear infected or more severe cases.

Does anyone use Mancozeb/Manzate/Maneb/Manzeb? Extoxnet lists it as class IV, "practically nontoxic", whereas Daconil is listed as class II, "moderately toxic", although primarily due to potential eye irritation. I do like to use the least toxic substance possible. Maneb apparently can break down to a more toxic compound, however. Anyway, Daconil usually the fungicide of choice amongst sprayers here?

Glad I had it available and didn't have to go hunting for it. Also glad I have managed to use few chemicals and hope I won't need to very often.

Sue

Oh no...I was going out today to buy the fungicide and now it's selling out and/or already sold out at most places.

I'll look around local places. If I can't find it I'll have to order online.

It galls me that I have to buy fungicide from very stores where I got tomato plants.

I don't spray anything because I have Butterfly/Hummingbird host/nectar plants all around.

This will have to be exception and I'll need to be careful not to get any spray near host/nectar plants.

Wouldn't you know this is first year my father asked for Tomato plants and it was too late to start my own.

Rutgers Research Lab says you've got to spray preventatively because they have no way of knowing which plants were originally infected and how many plants along the growing/distribution chain got fungus from infected plants nearby.

Rutgers & Cornell are asking that anyone who sees what they suspect is late tomato blight bring the plant to their extension offices so they can document locations and attempt to track route of fungus travel.

Good tip about Corn Meal on top of mulch. I've got all my plants in containers so they could be placed where there's enough sunlight to grow them.

Better get myself over to "big box stores" to hunt for Daconil or other product containing Chlorothalonil.

newbie_in_nj

If you're going to a big box store, look for daconil under the commercial name of Ortho Garden Disease Control if you can't find "generic" daconil. this fungicide is formulated to control a wide variety of diseases including rust, leaf spot, blights, anthracnose, powdery mildew, fruit and root rots. Additionally, many common lawn diseases including brown patch, leaf spots, melting out, red thread, dollar spot, rust may also be controlled by applying per the manufacturer's directions.

Serenade, which is organic, also works, should you be lucky enough to find a big box store that sells it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ortho Multi-Purpose Fungicide (Daconil 2787) aka Ortho Garden Disease Control

It looks like you can still get Ortho Garden Disease Control Concentrate through Amazon.

Link below:

Cindy

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon

You can also use Bonide Fung-Onil.
Both the Ortho and the Bonide have the same concentration of Daconil. Some stores carry the Bonide but not the Ortho.

Both Ortho and Bonide also offer a pre-mixed Daconil solution in a spray bottle, but some forum folks who have used it said it was gloppy and hard to use. And it gets expensive compared to the concentrate if you have more than a couple of plants to be treated.

The bottle of concentrate has a shelf life of three years if you store it in a cool dark place.

Amazon also has Serenade.

Cindy

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon

You can also use Bonide Fung-Onil.
Both the Ortho and the Bonide have the same concentration of Daconil. Some stores carry the Bonide but not the Ortho.

******

YES!!!

bcday knows that I'm growing quite a few tomato varieties that are new to all or most b'c I send her the seeds for same and she does most of the seed production for SSE listings, etc.

So like a jerk I called my local Agway Saturday not remembering it was a Holiday and also called the local hardware store; they weren't home either.

This AM I called Agway and at first mentioned Ortho Garden Disease Control, they had none, Steve called the main warehouse in PA and they were totally out and said they did expect some in in about two weeks.

So then I mentioned the Bonide Fung-Onil and Steve actually had a pint of it in the store and NOW! I kept saying thru this whole conversation that I wanted the 29.6% chlorothalonil and he kept asking me to spell it and then said he had copper spray which says on the side Blight and I said no way. he said you really do know what you want, don't you. LOL He was not in the mood to be told that Daconil acutally blocks the LB and fungal foliage receptor sites on the leaves.( smile)

Then call Freda, Freda will pick it up tomorrow and then we see if my pump sprayer is still alive, but if not, she can use the 2 gal watering can just as well.

Everything will get it, the tomatoes, potatoes, cukes and squash, the latter two primarily for mildew and Daconil is great for mildew.

I'm just not willing to take a chance on the special tomato varieties I'm growing but I can't get out there with the walker to even see if anything is going on with the tomatoes. Freda will do that tomorrow, but then there's more rain, heavy T storms predicted today and tomorrow, so we may wait until Wednesday to spray.

Carolyn

Well this daconil I have is probably at least 2-3 years old, maybe more. Does that mean I have to find more, that it is no good? I looked all over the bottle and there is no best if used by or expiration date, not even a production or bottling date. The brand is "GardenTech" and it is the 29.6%. I hope I don't have rebuy this stuff. If I do, what do I do with the old stuff?

Sue

I called Gardentech and they said once opened the daconil is only good for 3 months or one season. I thought mine was unopened but I found that it actually was opened, just very little used. So, they said although mine may have some residual action it will not be fully effective. They suggested I reapply in a few days with new product. They have not been hearing problems with locating the item in stock on the East Coast, but it may not have reached them yet. I will be looking today also. Just thought I would mention the info since others may be planning to use stuff they have had left from prior seasons, also.

Sue

I don't know about the Garden Tech product, but here's an e-mail that someone got asking about the shelf life of the Ortho Garden Disease Control;

*******

How old is your Daconil? I asked Ortho about this once and they told me the minimum shelf life was three years when properly stored. I'd go ahead and use it up unless it's really old.

Here's part of the e-mail they sent me when I asked:

"Garden Disease Control is formulated to have a minimum shelf life of 3 years when properly stored, but will often last longer. We don't know precisely how long our products will remain effective because variables in storage conditions could affect shelf life.
After 3 years, Garden Disease Control gradually loses its effectiveness. Garden Disease Control will not
be fully effective one day and ineffective the next, so we recommend you use up products even if you've
had them for over 3 years. Products don't become more hazardous as they age."

Carolyn

Interesting. I don't know about properly stored. In my garage it would have been stored away from light but temperatures ranging from below freezing to well above 90%. Age would be from 2-5 years. Would you replace it?

Sue

I went to Lowe's first thing this morning and bought 4 ready-to-spray bottles of Daconil for $8. each. They didn't carry concentrate.

Used one and a half bottles of the gloppy stuff for four tomato plants. Assume I was correct in spraying undersides as well as tops of all leaves?

Plants are droopy with all that glop on them but assume they'll bounce back up straight again? Please tell me they will.

Thank you all very much for information/links for Ortho, Bonide and Serenade options.

I can get the concentrate of Serenade online and it costs a LOT less even with shipping than ready-to-spray Daconil bottles off the shelf in stores.

Now I'm worried about bees and other beneficials after spraying the Daconil even though I know it had to be done.

On a lighter note, the huge containers I've got plants in look absolutely ridiculous with yellow coating of Corn Meal...LOL.

These are the most expensive tomatoes my father will have ever eaten if they survive!

They should bounce back fine, but I wouldn't pay that much again. I posted a new thread tittled "looking for daconil?" to give people ideas of where else they might find it locally, and there is always online ordering. The spray needs to be repeated every 7-10 days, and the expense will be outrageous if you keep going that route. Try Tractor Supply if you have one near you or call any local plant nursery, hardware store, etc. The concentrate makes about 65 gallons and cost 15-20.00, add an inexpensive sprayer and you will be set for the season and then some.

Daconil is not toxic to bees:

Here is a link that might be useful: University Extoxnet info on Daconil

just curious, anyone using milk or compost tea as a method to protect plants? if you are organic these 2 are a better choice than any chemicals. i have not used these but i am considering it.

from experience about 4 years ago with pole beans, i can say compost tea is amazing. i stupidly watered the pole beans getting the lower leaves wet around 6 pm many evenings and as a result of being wet all night i developed mosaic disease. the plants looked so bad i was sure they'd die. i had no idea what to use so i tried compost tea. the results were almost immediate and within a week they problem was checked and the plants went on to be healthy.

now this cured a problem and from what i read if you get late blight you can not save the plant but i am not sure if that is true. assuming that it is, i'm considering milk and/or compost tea. many believe that milk encourages a colony of beneficial organisms to grow on the leaf surface thus fighting any pathogens that may land on it.

got milk?

tom