Hi, Now I have identified that my tomato plant has Late Blight I am wondering if you can get species that are resistant to blight as I can see it being a problem for me where I live due to the wet cool climate and being unable to grow them in a greenhouse or cold frame, It is so that next year i could try again and not got the same problem I am lucky that the fruits were unaffected but I removed them before they were ripe and made chutney due to the cold weather and thought the fruits would spoil, I am now rather glad hearing that the fruits could be affected also, If I cant get resistant varieties how else can I protect from this condition, We had been very lucky up to that point and had no major problems other than lack of feed.Also how do i dispose of the affected plant can i put it into council recycling bin or do i need to burn it?
What I suggest you do to try and prevent blight is you make some form of canopy over the plants to keep the rain and the worst of the wet off them, but which allows the wind through underneath. I've done this and I've found that although I've still got blight towards the end of the season, I'm able to keep them growing for longer by keeping them drier. Remember it's also essential to whisk away everything to do with those plants that do become infected as soon as possible. Don't think they're going to get better - they're not. Whatever you do don't compost the remains of the plants. Bag it up, bin it, or if it's feasible burn it. Here are some types of tomatoes that are reputedly resistant to blight. Ferline - In recent trials this type of tomato has shown impressive blight tolerance in a garden situation. Also said to be resistant to fusarium and verticillium wilt. Legend - In recent trials said to show impressive blight tolerance in a garden situation. Legend could be the answer to many gardeners' prayers to help overcome this most destructive disease. Fantasio F1 - Said to be a good blight tolerance strain. It supposed to help ensure that the leaves stay green and healthy and they are also said to show resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus, Verticilium, Fusarium Wilts and Nematodes too. GOOD LUCK!! :-D
fantastic thank you for the information i will try look for those varieties for next season and i am sure we can make some sort of canopy for them, i will dispose of them this week, i didnt realise it was quite so destructive, again thank you
Not much I can add to that, Playtime--just to re-inforce what Eileen says. Sort of "seconding the motion", so to speak. I have only grown Ferline and Legends now for some years because blight is such a serious problem here where I live (also cool amd moist like you). I grow them in a greenhouse, but I have also made wire "pens" outside for them surrounded with clear plastic over that and it worked well also. I believe that I posted some pics for Biita once, a number of months ago. The "cages" looked like this: And looking inside from the top: As for the disposal of infected tom plants--personally I feel that burning is the most responsible way of getting rid of them. But if that isn't possible due to council ordance, then bagging and binning is the only other option. I cannot stress enough what Eileen said--Do not compost the remains of the plants. It wouldn't be a good idea to spread that "contaminated" compost throughout your gardens afterwards, you see.
thank you for your help I could do something similar to your cages though we have been growing in pots as we do not have much of a garden ( a work in progress)I will see what i can work out with hubbys help for next year and I will prob have to bag and bin the afected plants as we do not have anywhere to dry them to burn them, I will not put them in the green waste I understand it could cause a problem. These were bought as seedlings from a garden center maybe for next year I will buy some seeds of the legend or the other varieties suggested and try grow them myself so I am sure of what variety i am getting, I feel I am very lucky the problem didnt appear earlier and spoil the fruits.
Boy, you sure were lucky--Blight can be so bad sometimes. If you continued using the containers to grow them in, you could just set them pot and all down in that cage. An alternative to pots are bags of soil I have grown toms in bags of soil on my balcony at home and got a tremendous yield. I think that it's a good idea that you had to buy seeds and grow your toms from seeds. I have been doing it that way for a long time. I like knowing what I am growing, plus when I raise the plants from seed I can care for them properly. Tomato seeds germinate easily and almost every year it's 100%. Good luck next season, Playtime. There are a number of folks on here that can offer you loads of helpful tips should you need them.
Wow how do you grow tomatoes in bags of soil? I just cannot get my mind wrapped around that idea. If you could explain it in a little more detail I would appreciate it.
