Tomato loss: a support thread

[veggiewomble]

Yes, I wasn't quite thinking of using all the soil, but replacing the top layer and mixing in bone meal etc. But replacing the ENTIRE container would be problematic, considering I live on the 4th floor, and have no space to dispose of any unwanted soil.

I had my soil covered all the time with a plastic covering - "mulch" so its unlikely the spores would've fallen into the soil, if it is airborne. It is strange because I live in the middle of the city, and none of my neighbours plant anything other than hedge topiary... where would the blight spores come from? (I know very little about blight so if this is a silly question.... )

What about planting blight resistant tomatoes?

Or maybe I should think about growing a few chilli peppers in the same container next year instead?

vw

[Percy T]

ok heres my tale of woo to add to the rest,

had about 10 roma tom plant on the lotti lost the lot to blight, new to all this and was surprise to read you could spray, maybe pulled them all out prematurely?????

The whole site seems to have been hit by tom blight, one plot holder lots a whole plot full of toms, dont know what he was going to do with them alll but to lost the lot must have been really tough.

[Paulottie]

All my outdoor toms are dead, I really had some great varieties this year too. Burning everything and waiting for next year with high hopes!

[muckdiva]

Great thread Newgardengirl, it's been interesting to see which varieties seem to fare better than others.

My toms were looking great in June, then the potatos got blight and outdoor tomatos followed soon after. The garden pearl had a few dodgy looking brown toms and blotchy leaves, but hung on into August when I removed what tomatos looked ok for indoor ripening. Sub arctic plants were decimated very quickly once blight took hold.
The good news: I had two orange banana and two yellow perfection plants under the shelter of the roof overhang of an outbuilding and they seemed unscathed, but once the other plants had succumbed, I moved these into the greenhouse for safety and they seem to be doing well. I also had one plant outdoors of a heritage variety called Aunty Madge (lots of tiny plum tomatos), which was pot grown right next to the garden pearl, and this seems unaffected by blight though I have now moved it under the shed canopy to keep it out of the rain.

[nlhodge]

green tomato

Does anyone know what you can do with green tomato's other than throwing them in the bin?????

[JennieAtkinson]

Does anyone know what you can do with green tomato's other than throwing them in the bin?????

No!!! Don't throw them in the bin. Make a batch of Earthbabes Green Tomato Chutney. Well all did last year and it was fantastic.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...Tomato+Chutney

[Paulottie]

Welcome to the Vine. You might make chutney....or perhaps fry them if the film title is to be believed. The ones that are fully developed will ripen in the drawer anyway.

[Flummery]

Chutney - it's gorgeous. Or try ripening them indoors, in the presence of a ripe banana.

[number 1 suspect]

The saddest Tom Plant Ever???

This little plant in a 3 inch pot got left behind and has done better than most of the rest of my crop. Its bee a rubbish year. I usuall have enough Tom to make Passata do some sun dried in the dehydrator make plenty of chutney and have plenty to eat. This year will rate a score of -5 out of 100. Rubbish!

Mind you I reckon I could be on to something with mini potted Toms for next year

[leona]

i potted on some side shoots from 2 varieties of tom quite early on in the summer obviously before blight was even a thought. they are all doing really well. i have them in a different greenhouse to my blighted plants but have what appears to be a blighty pepper next to them and blighted toms just outside the door. i sprayed them with bordeaux mixture when the toms outside got it and so far (fingers crossed) they are completely clean!

[ratglass]

Hi

Well looking at all the posts hear I have been very lucky. I grew Tigerella, golden sunrise, lidi, and black cherry this year all outside expect for 2 black cherry plants in the green house. I was hit by blight early but decided to spray straight away with bordeaux mixture. My hubby takes the mick cause I check the plants every day but I think this has what has given me a good crop. I continued to spray at the recommended intervals and cut off any infected leaves. I have more tomaotes that I know what to do with so have been able to give them to friends and family who were badly hit by blight. I don't like to spray but decided I couldn't stand to lose the lot. I'd do the same next year but fingers crossed next uear will be like 2006.

[andrewo]

My black cherries have done nothing, my tigerella are just starting out - very late! My yellows have done well but mine have been knocked back by the cold and wet. I try not to keep all my toms together, planting them far apart to prevent blight, if they are in rows they will quickly run through them and I avoid planting them near potatos or in the same earth the year after I've had a crop of potatos in.

Now, spraying, as far as I know bordeaux mix is classed as organic. Many growers assume organic growing means no spraying - this is wrong, I recently spent time on an organic farm and they did use sprays but organic sprays rather than chemicals. It's also about getting a balance between the amount you have on the plot, place certain crops together close and you will create mini havens for disease and pests.