Can tomato blight be cured

[wadsleyowl]

Hi peeps,

I'm a new poster to the forum so please be gentle with me.

I'm quite a novice but love growing my own veg at home but I have a problem & would welcome any advice. I have 6 shirley tomatoplants growing in 2 seperate plastic "tomato houses"

They have been doing great with no problems at all, but I have been away for the weekend, & upon my return opened up the cover to find quite a few leaves with brown spots on them. I am guessing it is because they have been closed in for 3 days in humid temperatures, as when I first looked the condensation was everywhere.

I have opened up the front & cut off all the leaves 20 or so. I have been watering every 3-4 days at the bottom of the plant only & everything has been fine up until this weekend, so I am gutted as quite a lot of fruit has set.

Is there any chance the plants will survive or is that it & will it now spread throughout the plants.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Creemteez]

Hi Wadsley Owl,
Don;t panic, it might not be blight. If your toms have been inside a blowaway, they should have some protection form it as blight is an air-born desease which is brought down which is brought down by the rain and thrives during warm damp summers - so stuff under cover is less likely to get it.
Any chance of a piccie? If there has been a lot of condensation on the leaves the brown spots you have may well be down to scorch where water droplets on the leaves are magnified by the sun.
Blight spots are dark, blackish brown and also appear on the stems as the virus spreads.
You can try spraying with Bordeaux mixture as a precautionary measure, but good ventilation would be a better idea. Unfortunately if blight does take hold there is nothing to be done but have a little weep and burn the plants.
Post a picture if you can, I'm sure someone will be able to give you an accurate diagnosis!
By the way! welcome to the vine, and if you can, put your location onto your details - we're a nosy bunch and like to know where you're from!

[rustylady]

I doubt very much whether it is blight. If you have to go away and leave your plants you are better to leave them with the houses open. As you have said you've cut off the affected leaves they should be fine.

[Germinater]

Sound like they just got a bit to hot in there .if it's blight you will no in the next few day as it will spread quite quickly through the Plants

[wadsleyowl]

Many many thanks guys,

I will post a pic tomorrow of the leaves I took off.

[Potstubsdustbins]

If you could pop your location in your profile it would be a great help when trying to advise.

Tomes don't like humid atmosphere and you say the grow house was running with condensation.

Drops of water on the leaves with a strong sun will give you scorch, small light brown spots usually.

It could also be tomato leaf mold these are a darker brown patch usually larger.

Neither of the above are terminal just cut of the offending leaves and keep the grow houses well ventilated.

If you are unfortunate and it is blight nothing can be done to save the plants they will be dead in very short order.

Good luck Colin

[wadsleyowl]

two of the pics I took, not brilliant quality though.

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...F1DFF-orig.jpg

http://i692.photobucket.com/albums/v...6E842-orig.jpg

[Potstubsdustbins]

Almost certainly scorch, they should recover well.

Colin

[Shadylane]

Agreed. Deffo not blight and most probably scorch

[wadsleyowl]

Wow, relief, thanks folks. I presume it won't hurt the plants the fact that they have had a bit of a haircut?

[Florence Fennel]

They'll be fine WO, don't worry. Welcome to the Vine by the way and although you've put your location into your profile now, I didn't need you to, it was obvious where you were situated! Support them I guess?

[wadsleyowl]

They'll be fine WO, don't worry. Welcome to the Vine by the way and although you've put your location into your profile now, I didn't need you to, it was obvious where you were situated! Support them I guess?

Eye, I do, but I don't talk about it, I get more fun growing my own, or trying to I might add

[Florence Fennel]

Much more my idea of fun too, though Himself would disagree. He's supported them all his life, but he's not saying much lately either!