I'm sorry no one has responded to your question. This is my number one concern every year. I am in a climate very like yours in Southwest Ohio. I have been growing tomatoes in very large containers for more than 20 years. Since I started growing mostly heirlooms about 5 years ago, I've had a lot of disease pressure, but generally was able to keep my plants producing at least until the beginning of September. In other words, the plants don't die, but they do lose a lot of leaves starting in mid July.

What seems to help for me is using actinovate as a soil drench at planting and as a spray every other week alternating with Serenade. I believe Daconil would be more effective, but I just can't bring myself to use it in a small family garden.

I grow at least one disease resistant hybrid each year, and my favorite is Big Beef. I also think the potato leaf plants and oxhearts are a little less susceptible to fungal diseases. Brandywine Sudduth, Anna Russian and Mortgage Lifter Estler have done pretty well for me under varied conditions.

I actually try to get my plants in a little earlier these days so they start producing before temperatures get really hot and shut production down in midJuly. 8 inches of rain last June caused a lot of problems for my best laid plans last year. It's hard to keep up with a spraying schedule when it rains 20 days in 30.

Thanks for the reply Ohiofem! What product do you use as a soil drench? Do you use this in your containers? I have been looking to maybe adding Seranade in to the mix. I am growing Sudduth this year along with Anna Russian and Big Beef. I have also had reservations about planting out late if summer temps are hot. On an aside, I am planning on doing about 10 twenty gallon containers. I was looking at smart pots but there are a few others that are about half the price. Should I stick with the smart pots? Also what are the costs involved in filling each of them with a 5-1-1 mix? I think if I were to use a standard potting soil the cost could be prohibitive, at least with the initial layout for the containers.

I don't use chems (or at least I haven't yet,) so as far as non-chem solutions, I think you have the right ideas. I think Ohiofem mentioned a good point about getting them established early. If you aren't seeing major disease until later in the season, there's a decent chance the problems aren't in your soil. However. like you said, good rotation practices can't be beat for long-term prevention.

If you think you have a problem with tools and tilling, keep a garden hose to immediately spray off your tools/tiller when done with a bed, and a pump sprayer with a bleach solution right at hand. Spray the dirt off, put the tool on a tarp, then them give them a good coating with the bleach solution. Let it air dry, them move to the next bed. Sure it's a hassle, but not too bad considering the alternative. Remember too, as you no doubt are aware, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, etc... are from the same plant family and strict rotation should keep that in mind.

Hi Hoosier .. I am glad you started this thread.

Last year for the first time I had a scheduled regular spraying to protect my plants from air borne diseases. I sprayed with Daconil, Neem Oil and Copper fungicide. Mostly with Daconile. I am happy to report that I had no problems except toward the end when the rain season started I was getting Gray Mold. I dealt with that with Clorox spray ( 6oz/gallon ?) and kept my plants going. By early mid October I let thing go, since the season was almost over.

So, I am a firm believer in prevention than fighting after infestation.

Luckily we have had no soil borne diseases. So with few small raised beds rotating would have been impossible.

I am going to do the same this season. As soon as I take my plants outside I will give the the first shot of spray. Then every 7 to 10 days, weather permitting.

BTW: Most of may varieties are OP. Probably I have less than 5 hybrids.

Sey

@hoosier: Actinovate is used both as a soil drench and a spray. It is an organic product that is supposed to suppress verticillium and fusarium in the soil and fungi including downy mildew and early blight. It seems to enhance growth as well. It works best used before disease sets in, so right at the time of planting out. Serenade is bacillus subtilis which is used as a spray to prevent a broad range of fungul and bacterial diseases. Whatever anti fungal you use, you need to alternate with a second one to be most effective.

I only grow in containers using some variations on 5-1-1. I have 10 25-gallon smart pots dedicated to tomatoes. It takes about 28 cubic feet (or 210 gallons) of mix to fill those pots. If you can find a good source for the pine fines, they go for $3-5 for a 2 cf bag. I figure I spent about $80-$100 to fill those pots the first time. Since that time, I only replace about half of the mix each year. It's not cheap, but it's significantly less expensive than buying a good quality bagged mix.

@rgreen: I used to only have problems at the end of the season but the last two years it has been very early as it has been cool and wet. That was why I had the thought of maybe delaying planting by a week or two. I thought I might avoid Early Blight that way but that would probably eat in to my late production however. Thanks for the tips on tools! I am terrible about watching that kind of thing.

@Sey : Glad everything went well and I hope it continues! I sprayed with Daconil the last two years and kept a very rigid schedule. I still got disease, but about everyone in the area that did not spray lost everything with nary a tomato. Luckily for me I also planted in hills which helped with the heavy rainfall.

@ohiofem: Thanks that was very helpful! I haven't found any pine bark fines yet so I wasn't sure on the cost. Yes, I need to rotate my fungicide with some copper and Serenade. I will look for some Actinovate as well.

OhioFem - Good point about alternating fungicides. I'm going to try that. I have been using Ortho Max which contains Daconil. It has been effective in controlling disease in CT. Since I am now in Fla for the winter, the Daconil hasn't been as effective, although my plants are still alive and bearing well.

John A

I use Daconil here. The only disease problems I have had here are fungal either from rain, and then hot humid weather, or plant over crowding. I started spacing them out better, and using the daconil weekly, or after the rain dried up.

There is no magic wand, folks. Gotta keep on keeping on.

One thing is for sure, lots of fungi need moist and STAGNANT environment to thrive. So it pays to keep the foliage dry and well ventilated. Spacing is good, but if you let a plant grow without bound, no pruning then not much air can pass through it.

Sey