A few of my tomato plants have developed brown spots and yellowing, which according to a book on tomato problems I have, appears to be Gray Leaf Spot or Early Blight. It seems more like the former.
Anyway, they say to plant resistant varieties or rotate crops, but list either as a disease to be treated with fungicide. What fungicide do you use to treat this? Would it be chemical or natural?
Thanks.
'oirQuoting FDR:
I would suggest that you take a look at the below website, if you're not already familiar with it:
I use Daconil (aka Ortho Garden Disease Control). Once a week spray as a preventative. Must be applied so as to coat all plant surfaces (it is not systemic) it 'seals' the plant.
It is not 'organic', but as far as toxicity goes, I am comfortable with using it -- more comfortable than say rotenone, or pyrethrins (organic) for example.
It also helps to only water the plants in the early part of the day so that the foliage can quickly dry. Mulching is also helpful as it limits splash back of fungal spores from soil.
Thanks for the website. I strictly use dripper tubes for irrigation so I can't do anything more there.
I've been using Daconil this year, too. The spring was wet and cold, and the summer wet and hot; prefect for growing fungi, but not so perfect for tomatoes. The problem has been that Daconil needs to be on the plant for 24 hours, and early this summer, we had rain almost everyday.
Around here, this was just a bad year for the garden. Everyone I talk to says the same thing, that they didn't get much from their gardens, and disease took most of the plants early. It's frustrating, but I guess it's just part of a greater cycle. Last year I had bumper tomato and pepper crops. This year I had enough tomatoes to keep me in fresh fruit, but not much for sharing. My peppers are just now starting to bear well, and some that produced heavily last year have almost no fruit this year.
I know, I know, patience is a virtue.
Penelope, it's just not one of mine.
I used Bravo fungicide. You can use it on cukes and beans as well.
Tjis year was pretty bad here too in central NY. Had lettuce and some cucmber, but it took until just this week to start getting some tomatos. Carrots were wiped out by grass, and my pole beans are still sitting there waiting to bear fruit.
A boat we know of is named *Patience my ass*. We always get a chuckle when we see it :)
Yep, that's tough. When one needs it most, it won't stay on the plant. Though it's usually on the dry side here, I experienced this first hand last year when it just rained and rained late last summer.
One thing I'm considering experimenting with next year is the aspirin treatment. Sounds like it's more of a systemic way to toughen up a plant and trigger natural defenses, much like harpin (Messenger) is.
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