Is It Blight?

[Paulottie]

Well, It was always approved by the soil association. It is a matter of whether you get a crop at all with blight.

I wouldn't feel guilty. I have spent 10 years trying to achieve a balance in which the predators eat the pests. I don't like using chemicals but sometimes I have had to use something judiciously. Don't let the organic Nazi thing get you down if you want to grow veg in a healthy way then you will achieve that, I am sure...It is a bit of a way of life I guess....'Organic' has really been hijacked by the marketing sorts.

Having said that I am currently digging out 25 blighty tomato plants for the third year running, very depressing: Against that there is..... having tried Bordeaux mixture....I suppose it keeps it at bay for a bit but then you have to watch the weather forecast like a hawk.... and it is a lot of applications and blocked sprayer palaver.

[WeeGarden]

Thank you Zazen.

I'm feeling sooo guilty. I'm not as organic as I thought I was.

Blight resistant varieties next year methinks!

What do organic farmers use against blight?

[zazen999]

Copper based fungicides. These guidelines recognise the environmental hazards of these products, and no longer recommend their use in organic growing.

The above is from Garden Organic......which also says that using any spray is against organic rules; even one made from washing up liquid as that is now illegal in the UK.

[WeeGarden]

Is Bordeaux mixture 'organic'?

I can't seem to find a definitive answer - there is so much conflicting information on the internet. I read that it's on a list of approved chemicals by the Soil Association, and then I saw somewhere that it's harmful to the environment and wildlife.

On the packet I bought today, there are two nasty hazard symbols on it. Surely that can't be good?

Can someone advise?

[binley100]

My grandad used to grow tomatoes in his greenhouse borders. Every year he would dig out the soil and put it on a tin sheet and put that on top of a fire to sterilise the soil.

[WeeGarden]

I've pulled up the offending plant and cut off all the green toms and hung them to see if they've been affected. If not, I'll make some chutney or something with them.

One of the ones next to it is showing some signs on some leaves, which I've pulled off. Have sprayed all the plants with Bordeaux now. Left the ones in the baskets unsprayed. Hopefully the dry weather we've been predicted this coming week will mean it will hold off for now.

I so wanted to do everything without chemicals, but I couldn't bear to see all those toms go to waste.

I don't understand it at all. I'm in a new build area and no one in my neighbouring gardens are growing anything.

[nosferato]

thank you for your reply

[SarzWix]

I think it only survives in the soil on infected plant material, so just make sure you take away every last scrap of foliage etc, and as much of the roots as you can, especially if it's travelled down the stem.

Commiserations, 'tis hugely disappointing

[nosferato]

tomato blight

hey all i have lost all my 15 tom plants and wonder do i need to do anything to the area they were growing in to kill any infection that could last in the soil i know black spot on roses can live in the soil thanks for any help

[Hooky]

I'm sorry WeeGarden, but to my novice eyes that looks like blight

[WeeGarden]

Urgh! My toms are hit. Where is the stab a knife through the heart smilie?

Only one plant affected at the moment as far as I can see, but there are 6 planted in a block. Would it be too late to spray with Bordeaux mixture now? If not, I'm speeding to the garden centre this afternoon...

My Balconi Reds in a hanging basket seem fine at the moment...

*update*
I've attached thumbnails of my toms. Can someone please please confirm that it's not blight?

Could it be botrytis? The brown bits on the toms aren't mushy and the foliage is crispy rather than rotty?

[coreopsis]

This is my 1st time potato growing.The foliage on 1st patch of Desiree started to go yellow from the bottom and then a bit strange-drying off.I thought the foliage was dying off naturally(a bit early to me but hmmm...wait and see).Yesterday we had a visit from OH's friend-he's a keen tattie grower and couldn't say that it's definitely blight.Today I was cutting off the foliage on 1st Desiree patch(perfect blight example)-decent size tatties but Pink Firs are the size of my finger-I'm a bit dissappointed that they are still so small and I'll have to lift them up
Where's this hot sunny summer???

[Hooky]

I have just taken a break from completely clearing my whole bed of King Edwards which showed no signs at all of blight 48 hours ago. Now they have been completely ruined. WOW, I never knew a disease could hit and run so fast

All of my outside toms, (4 varieties) went over the last 2-3 weeks.
Who was it who said gardening is a great stress buster.....

This is my first year trying to grow some veggies and reading all the posts by the wiser and more experienced Grapes, I feel as though I should be disheartened.

But the strange thing is I actually don't at this stage. It has just made me more determined to save for that Greenhouse I have had my eyes on. Oh and I feel justified going for a larger size as well

Perhaps this is the optimism of the young (I wish ) or foolishness!!!

So I am now trying to find out if its worth cooking teeny weeny King Teddies like new pots!

Alan

[chriscross1966]

Pink Fir Apple seem to resist blight better than most and the Sarpo series are supposed to be almost immune.... I won't bother with outdoor toms again having lost the lot this year....

chrisc

[Waffler]

I feel your pain!
I've recently posted moaning about the dreaded blight which took all my potato plants and my outdoor toms.
I was wiping secateurs with detol wipes, but hubby said that would kill the spores, so ended up putting them along with my gardening gloves in the sink and pooring on boiling water.
I've also been trying to kill off spores on the ground (so as to dig up potatoes sooner in case they start rotting if it gets wetter again) by using the weed gun (the gas thingy) on the soil surrounding the plants.
I've decided next year NOT to bother with outdoor toms (I'm going to Bordeux-treat my greenhouse crops tomorrow as a precaution) and to buy blight resistant varieties of potatoes; though I've no idea just how resistant these are or whether they're any cop as a potato crop: reader experiences welcomed.