Disease & Fruit Set

gardenmommy_2010

15 years ago

So, my plants were all plagued by bacterial spot during our cool temps & hail & rain. But since the weather has dried & heated up the plants are putting on new growth and outgrowing the bacterial spot. However, they're still not setting fruit - at all. Of all my 29 non-cherry tomato plants I have 3 tomatoes on them. I've done the search for blossom drop but am wondering if it could be due to the bacterial spot, even though they are now powering through it. Will the plants be permanently harmed (it spread to their stems) or will the new growth be able to produce?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

suncitylinda
15 years ago
what part of ca are you in gardenmommy? LInda
ladon
15 years ago
G-mom... I had a pretty nasty struggle with bacterial spot last year in southern california. My plants looked like crap and I thought I would certainly have no crop based on the way they looked. But I kept caring for them and they actually ended up with a pretty impressive crop when all was said and done. It was a little later than in past years but it still came through. Don't give up. Incidentally, what are you using to treat the plants?...and to second Linda's question, where in Ca are you?
Related Professionals
Dallas Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Roanoke Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Amherst Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Topeka Landscape Contractors · Bowling Green Landscape Contractors · Lake Charles Landscape Contractors · Barnstable Landscape Contractors · Chico Landscape Contractors · Paducah General Contractors · Topeka General Contractors · Owensboro General Contractors · South Sioux City General Contractors · Providence General Contractors · Coeur d'Alene General Contractors · Ottawa General Contractors
gardenmommy_2010
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm in Sacramento. I've used everything to treat the plants. First the local nurseries recommended using Neem so I did a couple applications for a month. When that didn't appear to help I used the Ortho Garden Defense fungicide. Then, when another nursery said it was Bacterial Spot, I used Serenade. That was the last thing used just 2 weeks ago. I'll be doing another application tomorrow as a couple of the plants are still struggling & all them have the spot although most of them are growing past it. I figure I have enough Serenade for 2 more good applications - or 3 general applications. I'll continue using Neem after I run through the Serenade as it's also good for bug control.
suncitylinda
15 years ago
I assume I have had bacterial speck also and have used Serenade and copper soap type sprays. But as so many have said, the sunshine helps most of all! Even though we in CA have all had a cool spring, we have proably not had it as bad as you in in the Northern part of the state. I'm inclined to agree with LAdon that your toms will catch up. They have probably been spending all their energy staying warm and battling disease. I would apply plant food with this warming weather, but lightly. We are lucky, we have such a long season in CA our toms get time to recover from weather and other things. Gardening teaches us many things, some, like patience we may rather not like the lesson! Linda
LB_Gardener
15 years ago
If it's any consolation, I had a Marriana's Peace plant nearly die from bacterial canker this season. I had to prune heavily, but after a few treatments with a sulfur spray, it pulled through, and it's got a decent fruit set now. It took a while, but it started setting once it recovered.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of fertilizer are you using?

Michael