Bordeaux mix - is it meant to look like that?

[FoxHillGardener]

After losing tomatoes to blight for the last couple of years, I took the plunge and got some Bordeaux mix, after being assured it was organic-approved.

I followed the instructions on the bottle and mixed with water and sprayed it over the plants last night. By this morning it had dried but left a residue on the leaves. Not particularly attractive, but I can live with it if I have to.

My question is this - is it systemic and I can now rinse off the residue as the required stuff will have been absorbed onto the leaves, or should I leave it as it is, and if it rains do I need to respray?

If just left in place I presume I need to wash it off any fruit before I eat it! So no snacking on tomatoes straight off the plant

[nick the grief]

Hi FHG,

No I'm afraid Bordeaux mix isn't systemic. It's Coppersulphate & Lime basically & it just smothers the spores. I wouldn'r have thought that there would be much trouble with blight this year as it's been so hot & dry & being a fungus it prefers warm & damp.

What yo can do is grow them under a clear tarpaurlin the slope towards the prevailing wind & any rain will run off & water the roots for you. Support it on a fram at one end & peg the ends down with some stout ropes like this

[FoxHillGardener]

So I've been a bit previous in trying to prevent something from previous years which isn't likely to strike this year then. Typical. I get myself organised about the wrong thing. Maybe I should be focusing my attention on this year's problems instead - I've had blossom end rot for the first time - sigh. Too much water, not enough water, etc.. it's never-ending isn't it? Though of course that's what makes it so much fun!

Thanks for the info - Next year I shall try to rig up the protection/watering screen you suggest and cross my fingers against all the various things that might go wrong. Still, usually get enough toms to keep me happy despite all their challenges