Software
Houzz Logo Print
colokid

Question For Dave

17 years ago

In another post you said

*any tomato is susceptible to early blight. Opalka no more so than any other. Cause is fungus Alternaria solani and it is soil, seed, wind, water, etc. borne. But it can be prevented with a good antifungal spray program from day one if it is a chronic problem for you.

Dave*

Ever year I get wiped out just as they start to produce. I swore last year that I would start a spray program. Yes, I have to use the sane location with no other place to plant. I use drip irrigation and will prune just the lower branches that would be on the ground.

So my question for you is "what spray and how often". And any other things that I can do to help?

KennyP

Comments (7)

  • 17 years ago

    So my question for you is "what spray and how often". And any other things that I can do to help?
    KennyP

    ****

    Kenny, having lived in CO for many years and growing tomatoes there I know what I'd use to help prevent fungal diseases, but I'm not Dave, so will let him answer.

    Actually it makes no difference where someone lives b'c foliage diaseases are the most prevalent of the tomato diseases and are found almost everywhere.

    My role here is to just move your thread down the page a bit until Dave does answer since youi specifically requested that he answer. ( smile)

    Carolyn

  • 17 years ago

    So my question for you is "what spray and how often". And any other things that I can do to help?

    Carolyn and several others would tell you the same thing as Carolyn has posted about it too several times in the past. Don't be shy Carolyn. ;)

    chlorothalonil, maneb, and/or mancozeb fungicides

    Daconil (chlorothalonil) is the fungicide I use and is sold under that name as well as Ortho Garden Disease Control. As to how often? Per the label directions which on my bottle is weekly but I "think" the Ortho is every 2 weeks (not sure as I don't have it). Lightly spray the plants from the date of planting if possible otherwise ASAP and after rain.

    It coats the leaves so that the fungi can't penetrate.

    Actinovate (an organic control) is another one sometimes mentioned but I have no personal experience with it.

    Other tricks that "help" but don't necessarily prevent is wide spacing of plants, good air circulation within the plant structure, no overhead watering, heavy mulching, and annual additions of large amounts of good compost to the garden beds as the beneficial fungi and bacteria in the compost help eliminate the alternaria.

    Hope this helps.

    Dave

  • 17 years ago

    Don't be shy Carolyn. ;)

    ****

    Shy? Me? You know better Dave, LOL, but when someone specifically addresses a person in the subject title then I assume that's the only person they want a response from regardless of the responses that others might offer. ( smile)

    Carolyn,the non-shy one. LOL

  • 17 years ago

    Carolyn.did not intend to snub you, your well come any time. The reason I quoted Dave is because in the past, every time i addressed the problem I got the run of the mill answers of " Are you sure of what you have, Go to this site and identify your problem, (never could do any good at them) Move to new ground, don't splash water on them, and lots of answers that did no help. I quoted Dave because it was nice to see some one admit that blight happens. Hate to use a "shotgun" approach with spray, but I want to pick some tomatoes.
    Kenny

  • 17 years ago

    Carolyn.did not intend to snub you, your well come any time

    *****

    Kenny I didn't feel snubbed at all.

    In your case you said you knew you had fungal disease which I assumed was fungal foliage disease, but many times someone will just say they have blight, which is a general word and doesn't ID what the problem might be and to many it just means their tomatoes are sick. Same with the general word wilt, which is also non-specifc and can be due to many things/

    And sometimes folks can't describe what's wrong even when asked, so I know that when I have problems understanding what's wrong with someones plant that I do refer them to sites like the TAMU site and a few others.

    The pest and disease Forum was set up for that by Spike, the former owner of GW, so this Forum didn't get those kinds of questions and I know in those first several years I spent a lot of time in that Forum answering questions.

    But I don't now and I understand that those who post there aren't getting ansers in all cases.

    To be honest, I think it's time for the second generation of tomato growers to answer questions based on their past experiences and knowledge of the field, but from reading some threads I wish it happened more than it is.

    I know that I don't even post here in this Forum as I used to, but I do read and post at several other sites as well.

    We'll get it perfect sometime. LOL

    Carolyn, who is just curious as to where you are in CO. My home was at 1626 Locust in Denver, just over from Monaco Pkwy and one block down from the 17th Ave Pkwy.

  • 17 years ago

    Carolyn, Born and raised in NE Co dry land/wheat/cattle country. Grover-Briggsdale. Retired to a city yard, Kersey, with a garden hose and hate it.
    I am one of those who call every thing blight cause I just don't know any better and can't pin -point it any better. Read the books , and ask every body that knows less than me. Would be great if some expert that knew could see the problem. Could be any thing from cucumber mosaic to tick fever. So this year I will shotgun them with daconil. I just wanted to know how often
    Many thanks to you and Dave, KennyP

  • 17 years ago

    Would be great if some expert that knew could see the problem.

    colokid, have you tried contacting your County Extension office?