Is It Blight?

[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

[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]

thank you for your reply

[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.

[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]

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?

[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]

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?

[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.

[vegmandan]

Organic doesn't=SAFE !!!
Nicotine sprays for soil sterilization are "ORGANIC" but DEADLY !!!!
Bordeaux Mixture has only been added to the "Organic" list because it is the only way in which the "Organic" potato growers could ever get a crop to market without suffering blight.
This is my personal pet hate regarding "Organic" stuff and it's relative safety.
Bordeaux Mixture is mainly Copper Sulphate and Lime.
Copper Sulphate is deadly to most soil borne insects and is extremely toxic to Earthworms.
Plus as it is water soluble it naturally ends up in water courses and streams etc. where it is ,yet again extremely toxic to all pond life.
So as far as I'm concerned I would NEVER EVER use Bordeaux Mixture.And I'm not even an Organic Grower.
I am a realist and don't believe everything that I am told about the safety of certain products.
Organic does NOT mean Safe !!!
How on earth the "Soil Association" ...can say that Copper Sulphate meets it's criteria regarding the soil and protecting all it's beneficial organisms is beyond me ,as It will kill most things in it.????
Organic..... Schmorganic !!!
Do some research on Copper Sulphate and I'm sure you'll agree with me that Copper Sulphate has no place in the garden whether you be an Organic grower or not.

[Two_Sheds]

I saw somewhere that it's harmful to the environment

Organic doesn't mean "not harmful".
It means "not synthetic", ie derived from petrochemicals

[Two_Sheds]

Blight comes on the wind, so sterilising your soil won't prevent it coming back again next year, unfortunately

[WeeGarden]

Thanks for all your views.

To me, the 'organic' way of growing meant that you don't do things that would harm wildlife or environment. On top of that, one of the reasons for growing my own was to reduce the number of chemicals we eat (I won't ever be self sufficient with my 6m2 of patch), and knowing that the veg on our plate hasn't been touched by anything other than water.

But I use soap spray on aphids. I kill caterpillars and eggs. I drown slugs in beer. I guess there has to be some realism, in that if the choice is between spraying, or losing your crop and end up buying something that has been sprayed anyway, even if it was labeled 'Organic', then spraying in my own garden can't be so bad. It's only small scale anyway.

I looked back on the July issue of GYO mag, and in the special tomato section, they advise to spray Bordeaux. In the front of the mag, it states that they will promote methods that doesn't harm wildlife or the environment, and will only specify chemicals where there is no organic alternative.

I've had a thought about it, and my conclusion is, what's good for the GYO mag peeps is good enough for me.

[Paulottie]

Your choice...... But what Dan says about copper affecting all invertebrate life is true and as I mentioned it doesn't work unless you are really diligent, further to that if your plants are already showing any sign of blight you are too late anyway.

If you are going to spray try covering surrounding exposed soil with paper - that combined with burning plants at the end should reduce amount going into environment a bit.

[Alison]

I've considered spraying on many occaisions and prefer to take the risk of not doing so. I know that spuds I buy will have been sprayed but that doesn't mean that I want to be responsible for doing it on my plot. Read up and make the choice yourself but don't be conned into believing that everybody sprays, they don't, but you do spend the summer with a niggling worry at the back of your mind. However, as already said, there's no guarantee that spraying will ward off blight, it will reduce the chances and that's the best you can say.