Advice WTB Growing Tomatoes

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#2629989 4-Jan-2021 09:22

Use a copper based spray as a preventative.

Ideally every fortnight after the plants have developed their first true leaves.

Once you see the blight it usually too late other than reappling copper and cutting off the infected leaves.

Quite often only the leaves are infected but the fruit can remain viable. Depends on the disease.

Dispose infected leaves in the rubbish not in the compost.

networkn

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#2629990 4-Jan-2021 09:25

Yeah it's right up the main stem unfortunately. The area has quite a lot of ventilation. I'll post a photo a bit later.

SepticSceptic

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#2630154 4-Jan-2021 12:29

If it's up the stem then it's probably late blight.

Late blight typically appears once fruit has started growing.

Impossible to control at this stage.

Been there done that.

You may get some viable fruit but not suitable for bottling or preserving. Maybe ok in a chutney.

Any stakes, ties, pots, scissors, snips etc that have been used will need to be disinfected. Diluted bleach...

Such an annoyance when you have put in time and effort to get some nice tomatoes. But if you are successful there is no comparison between store-bought and home grown. So much sweeter and tastier when grown at home.

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#2630155 4-Jan-2021 12:35

Thanks, yes that is consistent with what I was told by my MIL an ex market gardener and the App timmay suggested.

I Guess the soil all goes out too?

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#2630222 4-Jan-2021 13:54

networkn:
Thanks, yes that is consistent with what I was told by my MIL an ex market gardener and the App timmay suggested.

I Guess the soil all goes out too?

Not sure about the soil. Recommended practice is to not grow tomatoes and similar in the same soil for a couple of seasons.

Though I'm growing beans in the spot I had tomatoes in last year, a couple of stalks seem to be inflicted with a similar fungal infection. Yellowed leaves starting at the bottom and losing leaves quite quickly up the stem.
Haven't copper treated them. May have to now...

tdgeek

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#2630230 4-Jan-2021 14:24

Its a pity. Is a pre emptive copper spray early on and every now and then a good measure? Looking at next season. Vagaries of humidity.

SepticSceptic

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#2630285 4-Jan-2021 17:49

tdgeek:
Its a pity. Is a pre emptive copper spray early on and every now and then a good measure? Looking at next season. Vagaries of humidity.

Copper is pre emptive by nature. It doesn't cure blight but rather forms a protective coating that is lethal to fungus spores.
Like copper sheathed boats that prevented marine growth.

Copper is recommended for organic rated crops.

Spray when the first true leaves form and then fortnightly or thereabouts. But be reasonably regular. No more than a month

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#2630292 4-Jan-2021 18:33

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#2630312 4-Jan-2021 19:39

That's not too bad. Maybe salvageable.

However I note you didn't remove the laterals. Those are the stems that start growing at leaf stalk juncture.

Lateral growth take energy away from the fruits and lead to denser growing conditions.

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#2630313 4-Jan-2021 19:42

Sorry, I may need a bit more detail (or a picture) of what you mean about laterals? Can I do it now?

I was doing lots of trimming early on, hoping to get a good root base, but I was mostly away for about 10 days as well, so couldn't do it then.

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#2630316 4-Jan-2021 19:53

networkn:

Sorry, I may need a bit more detail (or a picture) of what you mean about laterals? Can I do it now?

I was doing lots of trimming early on, hoping to get a good root base, but I was mostly away for about 10 days as well, so couldn't do it then.

The trunk grows branches, normal. In between those branches laterals grow.

This link calls them suckers, thats what we call laterals. Wasted foliage, remove them to allow more goodness to production foliage

https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/pruning-tomatoes/5261.html

(they can fruit but they dont produce well and take goodness from "real" fruit.

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#2630318 4-Jan-2021 19:55

Cheers, that's useful. I was doing that, but it probably got away with me. I wasn't sure how long to do it for. I thought maybe 3-4 weeks till roots were established, but it's an ongoing mission I take it?

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#2630320 4-Jan-2021 20:03

networkn:

Cheers, that's useful. I was doing that, but it probably got away with me. I wasn't sure how long to do it for. I thought maybe 3-4 weeks till roots were established, but it's an ongoing mission I take it?

Yep, ongoing. As it grows vertical, each new branch grows a lateral, pull them off. I cant recall if they regrow, I don't think so.

SepticSceptic

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#2630331 4-Jan-2021 21:34

There are a couple of well grown laterals coming up from near the base of the stems. Might as well keep them now as they have fruit on them now. But do get rid of any that are now forming.

A couple of other points.
Only one plant per pot. Having two makes them compete for sunlight and nutrients leaving both in a weakened state and prone to disease.

2nd. Don't use string to tie up. Tomato stems are quite soft and fragile and string rubs the stem causing damage. Use thicker ties. You can get a ball of tie material. Looks like black cotton t-shirt material. Bunnings. Tie in figure 8.

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#2630382 4-Jan-2021 21:57

i only ever keep the top 3-4 sets of leafs everything else gets removed, i try and keep the fruit growing off the main trunk.

I do grow in a greenhouse and my plants would be 10-15m long all up.

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