Tomato Blight has arrived.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?RDVFA 16 June 2010 Tomato Blight
The damage to the leaves on one plant was detected about a week ago. Not knowing what was the cause, I simply removed the leaves and assumed all would be well. Today I found the spores had spread to two other plants. The last two weeks have been wet, with rain almost every day. There really is no cure, so it is a case of removing the infected leaves or plants and letting nature take its course. Last year 2009, the total tomato crop was destroyed. This tomato bed is new and about 40 feet from the 2009 bed. I don’t detect any blight on the potato crop so far, but had some damage in 2009.

[Durgan]

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?LSKJH Over the next week an attempt to control the tomato blight will be undertaken by spraying hydrogen peroxide solution on the fungus on the infected plants.. The concentration is 100 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide to one liter of water. The spray bottle is 3 liters with 300 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Time will indicate if its effective.

[Millymollymandy]

I've never heard of spraying hydrogen peroxide for blight. We use Bordeaux mix and as we got early blight last year I've sprayed in advance as it is better as a protective measure than a cure. Good luck as it's a real pain when it comes early and wipes out your toms and spuds.

[Millymollymandy]

I've looked at your photos and I don't think that is blight. I don't know what it is but it's different - blight is more grey/brown and mouldy looking on the underside of the leaf, and doesn't go for the leaf edges like that. Unless of course Canadian blight is different from European blight?

Edit, sorry I'm talking about late blight. Both blights look to the same to me or maybe I've just had late blight early? But looking at photos on the net I can't see any disease that resembles your problem!

[Durgan]

I've looked at your photos and I don't think that is blight. I don't know what it is but it's different - blight is more grey/brown and mouldy looking on the underside of the leaf, and doesn't go for the leaf edges like that. Unless of course Canadian blight is different from European blight?

Edit, sorry I'm talking about late blight. Both blights look to the same to me or maybe I've just had late blight early? But looking at photos on the net I can't see any disease that resembles your problem!

I sure hope you are right.

http://www.longislandhort.cornell.edu/v ... tomato.htm Have a look.

My view is the damage is caused by some fungus. Conditions are most unseasonable in that the almost daily rain over the last two weeks is upsetting nature. Also, last year the complete tomato patch was devastated due to even slightly worse conditions, rain and cold. This, of course, tends to make me think of blight. The fungus is spreading throughout parts of NA, Kansas, Manitoba are reporting outbreaks.

[Millymollymandy]

Yes that's the blight I know which is Phytophora (sp? too lazy to look it up) infestans (late blight) but I hadn't realised that early blight symptoms are different. They are more yellowy with black spots on.

I hope you manage to control it. We have been out spraying Bordeaux Mix on our spuds and toms for the 2nd time as last year it hit us in early July yet nobody else in our hamlet got it.

In the autumn when it came back again and got my toms in pots beside the house we sprayed again with Bordeaux Mix and this actually kept it at bay and the plants kept growing and I was able to harvest a decent crop. So now I know not to rip out the toms immediately but to spray and see what happens.

[Durgan]

I chose Hydrogen Peroxide, since it should b able to kill fungus and is not harmful to plants. Today 17 June, it was hot and sunny and the plants are all nice a dry. The next few days are going to be hot and sunny. This should slow any fungus growth. I did not see further damage today.