On Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:12:46 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:03:14 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Fran wrote:

Wilt got all 4 of my plants this year - both the brandywine and the
rutgers. Since this is the 4th time I've tried tomatoes over the last
6 or 7 years, and the plants have all died of wilt, I'm not going to
try again. And, yes, I've tried both in-ground and containered.

And the soil in the container was fresh potting soil? I guess the next
step would be sterilizing the container (bleach solution), and all the
potting soil (heat). You would also want to change the supplier of the
starts. Then you should have a good idea as to whether you were screwing
up (and we all do from time to time;O) or whether it was really wilt,
because if you still got wilt, it would have to come from the supplier.
This can happen, even from seed.


Wilt, once it begins, is spread by air, too. We had it bad last year,
and even in a pristine containers and fresh, bagged soil and plants
grown from packaged seed sown directly in the soil, I have one corner
that is coming up with it much early than usual...nothing like last
years, but the weather is better this year. I've lost most of one tub
of cukes and one of tomatoes, one of yellow squash, but the rest of
the cucurbits and tomatoes seem ok so far....so far....

Boron

You responded to my post, but didn't answer any of my diagnostic
questions.

OH, I beg your pardon..Am I under some obligation to you somehow?

Yes, mold, mildew, and wilt can be spread through the air. I may be too
late, but have you considered tenting them?

Whey would I have consider tenting them this year when last year was
anomalous? There was no indication that any repeat of what happened
last year would occur again. And once it appears, even fungicides are
useless in prevention and general area spread.

And no, I would not consider tenting anyway.

"The shelters keep tomato leaves dry - and spores of late blight must
land on wet leaves to infect the plant.", according to
http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-...lants-beat-bli
ght-00400000017182/

BS in that sort of setting. Take a look at that thing, will you? It's
impractical and damn near useless. Do you think that the wind doesn't
blow when it rains around here or at other times? And it'd require a
ground level irrigation system, rather tricky (not impossible) and
pricey with all the containers.

If you look up journal articles about controlling late blight under
greenhouse conditions, it mentions surface watering vs above-plant
irrigation, but also generally requires fungicides as well. I don't
use them, but suspect that field crops would need them, too...and they
are used as preventives, not treatments, anyway. And I hate to break
the news to you, but even under such a device, some dew will collect.

I pull up and properly dispose of diseased plant matter immediately to
prevent spread as best as possible and this, too, shall pass. That the
blight is becoming virulent earlier this season as it did last seems
to be a surprise to many growers and extension services, but
eventually, this strain and some other weather patterns will help
control it naturally. It may take awhile, several seasons, but I am
not using my tomatoes and cukes to feed a starving family. I've been
at this for 30 years and bugs and blights wax and wane. I'm not going
anywhere.

Boron