garden:about:plants:tomatoes:blight
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garden:about:plants:tomatoes:blight [2014/09/24 10:23] – created davidbac | garden:about:plants:tomatoes:blight [2015/09/30 11:47] (current) – davidbac | ||
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+ | ===== Late season tomato blight ===== | ||
+ | I attended a webinar about late season blight. It is caused by a fungus that can affect both tomatoes and potatoes. The presenters at the webinar, all agricultural researchers, | ||
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+ | * The several fungi active in the U.S. cannot survive cold winter weather unless they inhabit an over-wintering potato. As the potato sprouts it can release thousands of spores to infect the area. | ||
+ | * Once blight has begun there is no rescuing the crop - blight rules. | ||
+ | * A couple of fungicides can reduce blight but only if applied regularly **before spores are present**. | ||
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+ | ==== Factors ==== | ||
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+ | * Spores from specific fungi in the air (often over-winter with potatoes) | ||
+ | * Moisture on the leaves | ||
+ | * Fungal spores traveling on the wind from another blighted garden | ||
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+ | Agricultural scientists who conducted a webinar I attended said that the most likely way for spread of the fungal spores is via over-wintering potatoes who had blight the previous season. I believe it is also possible for spores to travel on the breezes from one blight-stricken garden to another. | ||
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+ | ==== Managing ==== | ||
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+ | * Never spray water directly on tomato leaves. In some situations it may help to protect plants with a cover. | ||
+ | * Trim off any leaf or non-essential stem (and put in yard waste, not a compost pile) | ||
+ | * Remove any fruit that has a blighted (dark gray to brown to black) | ||
+ | * Cross your fingers and hope for warm sunny weather | ||
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+ | In our experience, once the blight gets to the trunk and stems of a tomato plant the game is over. Soon any fruit will be blighted also and even heroic efforts to save the fruit will have minimal effects. I have attempted heroic measures with very little success.\\ | ||
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+ | <note tip> | ||
+ | Some fruit such as tomatoes, melons and pumpkins can ripen even after leaves have been removed. | ||
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+ | ==== Nice try ==== | ||
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+ | ==== Saved this one ==== | ||
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