If it is very hot and humid, you might could become very successful at keeping /growing healthy tomato plants, but that may not extend your harvest window. Production requires minimal health AND the right conditions (not too humid and not too hot). Perfect health maintenance is no guarantee.

I have not used a fungicide this season. My plan is to use time as my weapon, then quit when it makes sense. I choose to plant early, select early / mids, provide a good environment, and plant extra. I only pulled diseased leaves once(no more than 10 leaves). I want to see just what I am giving up by letting nature make most decisions. I killed one worm. I lost 4 tomatoes. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. After 85% is harvested, which I think will happen before 10 June, I am calling a truce. I don't see the need to force many interventions and upset the nice balance I have out there. I like the abundance of life forms that show up.

If you can figure out how to do it, please share the tricks with the rest of us. :-) Maybe under a climate controlled dome?

I just expect to deal with them and use organic fungicides. But i also keep lots of cuttings for replacement plants going. When one plant gets too bad rather than try to keep it going I just replace it.

Dave

Great idea Dave - hadn't thought of that.

I am not familiar with organic fungicides. I have some learning to do.

Dave, do you keep cuttings going outside? In pots? Under a shade tree? Are they on an irrigation system? How do you keep your cuttings free of the diseases that are in your garden? Physical separation, or does the newer plant have better resistance than the old one?

Janice, I am one that just can not let nature take its course. I like to see how early I can get my first ripe tomato and I like to see how long I can keep them producing into the Fall. Last year's Fusarium that did me in by mid to late August hurt my growing spirit. I felt defeated. I WAS defeated. I can, though, appreciate your philosophy of just letting it take its course.

Janice, there are few organic fungicides , on the shelves at HD. One that I have is NEEM OIL based. It is Bayer brand. I saw another one Sesame Oil based. I used to make milk/water spray for powdery mildew on cucurbits.

Like NC, I like to take a proactive approach to gardening, in dealing with the elements, disease, pruning, fertilizing, watering. etc.

Sey

our best tomato season is fall here south of houston, tx actually our best growing season for about anything is fall tomato plants seem to take heat and humidity early in their growing cycle, but for blooming and fruiting they want temps less than 90 ....so we plant them in say late july and they produce in fall with less disease

Janice - I keep them outside in 1 -2 gallon pots on the lake-side deck of the house after they are rooted. Good steady breeze there. It is about 1/8 mile from most of the gardens and with the barn and house as a wind block between the gardens and those plants. Yes they are on drip irrigation. I try to keep 10-12 going at any one time.

Hail got 3 plants in the bigger garden last night - including my first fruit set on a Wayahead plant &^%#* - so I'll use some of these to replace them and then root the cuttings I was able to salvage from the broken plants.

Organic fungicides you can read about if interested - Soap Shield, Bonide Liquid Copper, Serenade, Neem, Biosafe, Safer Biofungicide, Lime-Sulfur blends, etc.

Dave

Dave, I had four tomato plants lost in that hail storm last night….live in Conway near Little Rock. Made me sick…I have never thought to take cuttings to have as replacements. .I have just started using BioSafe this year on my tomatoes….is it the only thing I need to use or do I need to alternate with Daconil? I have enjoyed reading your comments on the forum as I live so close to you. Wish I could talk you into coming to see my garden and give me advice!!!