Everything is coming along great. With one exception, blight has gotten to our tomatoes and we are kind of at a lost for words. I have several questions that I need some answers for so if anyone has some ideas, here they are. 1) Is there any way to save the plants? 2) If not, is it to late to plant tomatoes again? 3)Can we use seed from the tomatoes we do have? 4) I have heard from some old timers that we cant even plant in the same spot next year because blight is in the soil. Is this true? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
blight??
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About the Author: Westcare KYGrow
Hi there. I’m Jeffrey Helton, an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Grow Appalachia headquarters. I just consulted our technical director, Mark Walden, about your questions, and here’s the information that he provided….
1)Once a plant is infected with blight, you cannot save it. You can, however, slow the spread of blight with regular applications of an organic copper spray, maybe allowing you to harvest your crops.
Also, we use the word “blight” to cover many diseases, and blight is also often misdiagnosed, so we recommend that you take a sample of your plant to a local extension agent to verify that what you’ve encountered actually is blight. Due to the specific nature of your problem, your area, etc., the extension agent will be the person who is best equipped to make recommendations for you.
If you want more info on tomato diseases, read the following PDF:
http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/ext_files/PPFShtml/PPFS-VG-15.pdf
2) Unfortunately, it is too late to plant tomatoes again. Most tomato varieties mature in 65 – 90 days, which would be past our first frost date in this region, in the first couple of weeks in October.
3) It is recommended that you do not use tomato seed from this late in this season. Seeds should be taken from healthy, mature fruit early on. This method has has the least possibility of disease transmission.
4)Those old-timers are onto something. Blight is indeed in the soil, and rotation of plants is recommended even when your plants haven’t contracted diseases, simply because rotation also serves as a way of minimizing future pest and disease problems. As a note, during wet growing seasons, blight is everywhere. It can be transferred in the air as well as the soil. Again, it’s important to develop a relationship with your local extension agent, so that there’s no question about what actually is afflicting your plants.