I've never had luck saving plants with late blight so I've been spraying them weekly with daconil this year to try and prevent it. You may have some luck with the link below though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Search: Late Blight

Isn't this a soil problem?

Phytophthora infestans, the fungus that causes it can be soil (but doesn't usually survive there from what I have read), crop debris, seeds, or airborne or even rain-borne. The spores, common in wet/humid weather, spread quickly from other plants or even from other fields.

No cure as far as I know but prevention is possible with a regular fungicide spray plan. Daconil or similar product sprayed on the plants from the day of planting following the directions on the label, coats the leaves and prevents the spores from taking hold.

In additional to all the prior discussions linked above, there is much info available on the web if you Google it by name.

Sorry for your loss this year but next year you can be prepared. ;)

Dave

Donnamarie, if it's truly Late Blight ( P.infestans) then from the time you see the symptoms the plants are usually a mass of stinking black tissue.

The longer you leave them inground the more opportunity for the spores to be shed to the soil and that's not good b'c the spores can exist for a long time in the soil.

So please get those plants out of there and don't compost them, destroy them.

And I highly suggest that you read the links that folks have given to you as well as doing some Googling to find out more about this usually lethal disease in terms of what the future looks like for your garden and tomatoes.

I must say that I'm a bit surprised to find a Dx of LB in NJ although I know it's there, but I'm sure you can confirm that diagnosis by just looking at pictures of LB that show the initial symptom of petioles drooping down and dark gray water soaked lesions on the leaves.

Carolyn

Carolyn,

I'm only going by what Rutgers told me. I would imagine they would know more than I. I brought in several samples of branches of my plants for them to examine. I brought several with the late blight and several with some tiny bugs (the size of grains of black pepper). They will get back to me about the bugs. I've also been having curling leaves so I brought some of those leaves as well. I've been having numerous problems for years with my tomatoes and I've been whining on the various forums for years wondering what I've been doing wrong. On average I get no more than five fruit per plant. So, I would imagine late blight would explain what my problem is if it overwinters and cannot be cured.

I'm not the perfect gardener, but I do try. Unfortunately, it was raining hard today when I clipped the samples and I couldn't hold a scissor, a pad and pencil and the cut leaves at the same time, so I'm not sure which plants have the late blight until it rears its ugly head again. The master gardener gentleman was very nice and called me within 15 minutes of his determination of late blight. And he apologized to have to tell me (it wasn't his fault) and it sounded like a death sentence to me.

I am very pleased with Rutgers Extension. One block from my work.

Now I need to find someone who is willing to look at my garden and give me some helpful ideas - point me in the right direction.

I need help or I won't be able to grow tomatoes again (because I'm gonna get rid of my seeds and go with hybrid). Or maybe just corn.

BTW - he never heard of brandywine sudduth - should that tell me something? He was the head cheese - he MUST know. Right?

oooog - tired -- going to bed to have nighmares about plants with late blight encrusted leaves having to be torn up........

All of YOU have SWEET dreams!!!

Unfortunately, it was raining hard today when I clipped the samples and I couldn't hold a scissor, a pad and pencil and the cut leaves at the same time, so I'm not sure which plants have the late blight until it rears its ugly head again. The master gardener gentleman was very nice and called me within 15 minutes of his determination of late blight. And he apologized to have to tell me (it wasn't his fault) and it sounded like a death sentence to me.

Actually, it is a death sentence, that's why it's so serious. There's really no "rearing it's ugly head" it doesn't come & go & come again--It's like the herpes of garden diseases! Usually once a plant's got it, that's about it for the plant. That's why there may be some concern over a mis-diagnosis of it with something else.

Donna, I'm having some doubts about the diagnosis that the Master Gardener gave you.

Have you looked for pictures of Late Blight online and seen the symptoms I referred to above? You need to be able to confirm the Dx and from what you'rfe telling us I'm feeling uneasy about the Dx.

mark is absolutely correct in saying that Late Blight doesn't come and go. As I mentioned above within about two weeks of seeing the first symptoms the affected plants will be dead and black and stinking.

Carolyn, who will just say that not all Master Gardeners are created equal in terms of disease diagnosis. Sigh. I thought you met with a Rutgers staff member. Master Gardeners as part of their learning program do staff Extension Services and other places as well.

Thanks for your help everyone! I do appreciate it.

Donna,

If you haven't already looked at the tomato problem solver on the Tomato Pests & Disease Forum, you might want to take a look. Here's a picture of Early Blight:

{{gwi:1366780}}

It occurs at this time of year here in NJ, and we've had a sudden burst of rain after hot, dry weather. My plants were green from top to bottom until last week's rain. The rain was gone by Thursday morning and before Friday they started to look blight-y (non-scientific term), lots of yellowing droopy leaves, brown spots, ugh.

Here's a picture of Late Blight, which up to now, knock on wood, I haven't seen personally:

{{gwi:1366781}}

Take a look at the Problem Solver for more info. Good luck!

Pat

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Problem Solver

Can I use the Daconil AND bring in ladybugs to take care of my aphids? Or will the daconil kill the ladybugs?

Can I use the Daconil AND bring in ladybugs to take care of my aphids? Or will the daconil kill the ladybugs?

*****

Donna, Daconil does not kill ladybugs.

Daconil attaches to the specific sites on the leaf surface where specific fungal foliage pathogens attach and blocks them from attaching to those sites so they can't infect the leaves.

Carolyn

What type of applicator should I use to spray the Daconil? I have an antique (1984) plastic 2 gal sprayer that you mix, pump and spray, or can I buy a no pre-mix sprayer that attaches to the hose? That would be easier than filling and pumping again and again. Or is there something else? Even if it is too late to spray this season, I'd like to be prepared for next year, if I don't give up by then!

Thanks!