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Non stop rain and humidity...are they doomed?

11 years ago

Rains finally ended. I have only been able to spray twice with bonide, but still have fears of blight. The temps have cooled down now, and wonder if it would be best to pull back the mulch to let dry them out?

Please advise...I sure don't want to lose them...


Comments (5)

  • 11 years ago

    Tomatoes are a hardy plant. Yesterday morning I watered mine and a few hours later we got 1.5 inches of rain in a torrential downpour. It happens. You just can't worry about them so much. IMO people fiddle with the plants way too much.

    I try to pinch off the lower stems to keep them off the ground and tie them to the cage occasionally as they grow, fertilize every 2 weeks and water as necessary, that's about it.

    I will say though I plant quite a few more plants than I need so if a few don't make it so be it.




  • 11 years ago

    Unless they are in standing water I would leave the mulch alone. They can handle some wet soil for a time just as long as they are not drowning. Spray every week if you can and hopefully they will come through it.

  • 11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    A tip from my own experience when there were 2 weeks of torrential rain last August. If you see whitish spikes or triangles appearing on lower half of the plant, nothing to fear. They are extra roots appearing above-ground 'cos the plant is a bit bamboozled by all the wetness. I was freaked out and ready to attack them hard with the scissors but I held off and things were fine anyway.

    p.s. Just checked google for 2 minutes and found the official term...... adventitious roots

  • 11 years ago

    Thank you all. Just a little worried as I lost last years plants to blight. I want tomatoes!!

  • 11 years ago

    Sorry for your situation. I hope that it is short term.
    Flooding happen all the time in the spring time mostly,
    That is why having a well drained garden soil is valuable.
    That is why some of us spend efforts, time, money to build raised beds.
    When I moved to WA, I figured out that in my situation raised beds are MUST.
    So I built my beds, filled them with purchased material at a cost per square foot of about 2-3 bucks. So for 150 sq-ft I spent roughly $400. , not counting my time and labor. On top of that I cover my beds with black plastic and just make a cut for each planting hole. I'll remove the plastic some time in July .
    I add a lot of pine bark mulch and small nuggets to the soil mix., in addition to compost and manures.
    So if you have a low laying land, maybe raised beds can offer some solution.
    You can also do few other things:

    == slope the beds a little, if possible.
    == provide channels for the runoff water to go, if possible.
    ++ Make barrier so no runoff water can get into your garden.
    == make your garden series furrows and hills. So you plant on the hills and they won't get flooded.

    I have, personally done all of these things in the past.

    Sey


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