Tomatoes - brown not red - blight??

[kathyd]

Hi. My Gardener's Delight tomatoes are in the polytunnel, not outside, because we do suffer from blight. I've not been pinching them out, I left them to grow as they wanted, so the plants are huge and the tomatoes are tiny (won't be doing that again then!). But as they're changing colour, they're going brown rather than red... Is this blight? I've been picking off shrivelled and dead looking leaves to keep things a bit tidier, but haven't noticed anything too dire - unless it's hiding amongst the tangled growth where I can't see properly . Is there anything I can do to salvage them at this stage? Thx

[Thelma Sanders]

sorry but that does look like blight to me, it how my outside toms looked before they collapsed

[rustylady]

Looks like blight to me too. I would suggest you pick off all the affected fruit and thin out your foliage so you can see what is going on with your plants.

[kathyd]

Grr, I had a horrible feeling you'd tell me that . Okies, I'll pull off lots more leaves and anything black and nasty looking, and any manky toms - will that help save the rest of them? Or are they all gonners...

[Bigmallly]

Doesn't look good Kathy unless you use them green as in chutneys. A similar thread was started last year.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ght_60634.html

[kathyd]

You're right BM, it didn't look good at all when I started looking in the undergrowth ... and to be honest, since the toms are only pea-sized and there've been so many other problems this year, I suddenly got to the point where I'd had enough and ripped them all out... well all apart from one that Tony had planted and was so proud of, I've left that one in and will nurture it to the bitter end, I'd hate to put him off completely quite so early in his new gardening activities! It'll give him a perfect opportunity to brag about it on Facebook if he gets any fruit off it . At least I can now get at the bindweed and other nasty weeds which have snuck in, and get things ready for my winter planting... Any suggestions on how to clean up the soil after an attack of blight??

[Farmer_Gyles]

if you have any green toms, pick them, leave them on the windowsill for a week or so ... if they turn brown, they have rotted with blight ... if they stay green or ripen normally, they might be ok ...

[kathyd]

Thx Farmer Gyles - I've picked a handful to try, but to be honest most of them are so small they're hardly worth the effort... I did get 2 ripe ones though! And I ate them both myself, didn't even offer to share them .

[taff]

save your green ones for chutney, find earth babes recipe for it, and add more chilli

[kathyd]

I'll have a look at that taff, thanks

[Sarico]

i have the same problem.... my tumbler are getting brown but they look like striped...what i mean the green tomato have 2 shade of green and when they ripe they get red and brown... i will post picture as soon i can...