Steve Peek wrote:
songbird wrote:
Steve Peek wrote:
....
Spray with copper, start early and spray often. I've had very good
success
on my heirloom tomatoes with this method.

copper is a poison to many creatures.
i would not advise this at all.

All metals are poisonous in extreme amounts. I believe copper is still
listed as organic by OMRI (organic materials research institute).

copper is poisonous in small amounts to
some critters. please read up about it
before suggesting it as a frequent fungal
spray.

spraying often as a preventative is
going to cause it to build up in the soil.
in time some will run off or soak in to
the water table. if the person you
recommend this to is near the ocean it is
even worse as to the amount of harm even
a small amount can do (Boston is near
the ocean).

just because some institute lists it
doesn't mean it's suitable for frequent
and general use.

if everyone in the midwest used a lot
of copper it would severely damage the
Gulf ecosystem (even more than the
dead zone already is doing).


fungal problems can be controlled in
many other ways that don't involve
poisons.

tomatoes are not greatly suited for wet
and cold climates. eastern seaboard USoA can
get some cold storms. if you are going to
grow tomatoes in that area grow short season
and smaller sized firm fruit varieties and
accept that losses will happen. later in the
season get the fruit off the vine before it
gets damaged by frost. etc.

when the plant isn't particularly suited,
be prepared to accept some losses from time
to time. spraying preventatively is an
admission that the plant or conditions are
unsuitable. wasteful and damaging in the
longer term. certainly you cannot keep
spraying copper on your gardens and expect
it to not cause trouble eventually. some
plants are metal accumulators. do you know
which of these are? are any vegetables that
you eat? i like being green, but i don't
want to be green that way.


songbird