Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

Hi,

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight. We prefer an organic solution
to the problem. Can someone recommend something please.

Peter

Peter Richards

(but use hotmail to email)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

"Peter Richards" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight. We prefer an organic solution
to the problem. Can someone recommend something please.


One is coming right now, its called 'Winter'.

--
Tumbleweed

Remove theobvious before replying (but no email reply necessary to
newsgroups)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

In article ,
(Peter Richards) wrote:

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight.

This is a very silly time of year to be bothering about new tomato
plants unless you are a long way from the UK.

Your description matches tomato leaf mould. I had quite a bit of this
for months but it didn't spread much and I had a superb crop without
spraying.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:

"Peter Richards" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight. We prefer an organic solution
to the problem. Can someone recommend something please.


One is coming right now, its called 'Winter'.

It's too late to treat blight by any means now. Just pick the toms (
they will ripen in a cool place indoors) and burn the plants if you can,
to kill the blight spores. If you can't burn them, don't compost them.

Janet.

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

Hi Steve,

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 18:17 +0100 (BST), (Steve
Harris) wrote:

In article ,
(Peter Richards) wrote:

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight.

This is a very silly time of year to be bothering about new tomato
plants unless you are a long way from the UK.

I forgot to mention that I live in Australia, and before I get flamed
for posting on a UK newsgroup, here is my rationale:

1. I searched through the newsgroups for "organic", and this one
certainly had the most postings, therefore this was the best NG to
post my question.

2. Tomatoes are, .... well, tomatoes, it doesn't matter where they
are grown (UK or Oz), and no doubt in the UK, tomato blight would be a
problem also, therefore it was this NG I was seeking an answer.

3. Even if I lived in the UK, this would not be a 'silly' time of the
year to plant tomatoes (i.e. I may have a hothouse).

Your description matches tomato leaf mould. I had quite a bit of this
for months but it didn't spread much and I had a superb crop without
spraying.

This is spreading, and yes, appears to be some sort of mould or fungal
disease. As we saw a show on TV that recommended milk for fixing many
tomato 'woes', we have sprayed the plants with milk. It will either
kill them or cure them I guess.

Thanks,

Peter


Peter Richards

(but use hotmail to email)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

Hi Janet,

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 15:58:37 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

It's too late to treat blight by any means now.

See my reply to Steve. :)

Just pick the toms (
they will ripen in a cool place indoors) and burn the plants if you can,
to kill the blight spores. If you can't burn them, don't compost them.

I read on some discussions that as long as you bury the plants at
least 2 fet below the surface, it's okay, but, yes, burning is better
to completely destroy the disease.

Thanks,

Peter


Peter Richards

(but use hotmail to email)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight. We prefer an organic solution
to the problem. Can someone recommend something please.

Pull them up and burn them.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

"Peter Richards" wrote in message
...
Hi Steve,

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 18:17 +0100 (BST), (Steve
Harris) wrote:

In article ,
(Peter Richards) wrote:

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight.

This is a very silly time of year to be bothering about new tomato
plants unless you are a long way from the UK.

I forgot to mention that I live in Australia, and before I get flamed
for posting on a UK newsgroup, here is my rationale:

1. I searched through the newsgroups for "organic", and this one
certainly had the most postings, therefore this was the best NG to
post my question.

2. Tomatoes are, .... well, tomatoes, it doesn't matter where they
are grown (UK or Oz), and no doubt in the UK, tomato blight would be a
problem also, therefore it was this NG I was seeking an answer.

3. Even if I lived in the UK, this would not be a 'silly' time of the
year to plant tomatoes (i.e. I may have a hothouse).

Your description matches tomato leaf mould. I had quite a bit of this
for months but it didn't spread much and I had a superb crop without
spraying.

This is spreading, and yes, appears to be some sort of mould or fungal
disease. As we saw a show on TV that recommended milk for fixing many
tomato 'woes', we have sprayed the plants with milk. It will either
kill them or cure them I guess.

Hello Peter in Oz,

Welcome to this newsgroup. Please don't be angry or run away or be
apologetic.
Maybe we can all talk sense if we always remember that our seasons are out
of phase.

Franz

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

"Peter Richards" wrote in message
...
Hi Steve,

On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 18:17 +0100 (BST), (Steve
Harris) wrote:

In article ,
(Peter Richards) wrote:

Our new tomato plants are showing signs of dark brown and light purple
patches on the leaves, obviously blight.

This is a very silly time of year to be bothering about new tomato
plants unless you are a long way from the UK.

I forgot to mention that I live in Australia, and before I get flamed
for posting on a UK newsgroup, here is my rationale:

1. I searched through the newsgroups for "organic", and this one
certainly had the most postings, therefore this was the best NG to
post my question.

Once could apply the same reasoning to a problem with your palm trees or
coffee crop!

2. Tomatoes are, .... well, tomatoes, it doesn't matter where they
are grown (UK or Oz), and no doubt in the UK, tomato blight would be a
problem also, therefore it was this NG I was seeking an answer.

I've never experienced it, maybe others have, so AFAIK tomato blight isnt a
problem in the UK. Its also a very imprecise term and could apply to
hundreds of different actual diseases of fungal origin. And since the only
way of killing some sort of fungus without harming the plants would be with
a chemical of one derivation of another (shock horror!!), then for you,
burning the affected plants seems to be the best (and organic) way, since
you'll be hugely reducing the chances of the infection spreading, something
you wouldnt get with any cure that isnt 100%.


3. Even if I lived in the UK, this would not be a 'silly' time of the
year to plant tomatoes (i.e. I may have a hothouse).

Incorrect, it would still be a silly time of year unless you also installed
powerful lighting to compensate for the shortened day length, however hot
your house (lets not even consider the economics of doing it either...£5
tomato anyone?)

Your description matches tomato leaf mould. I had quite a bit of this
for months but it didn't spread much and I had a superb crop without
spraying.

This is spreading, and yes, appears to be some sort of mould or fungal
disease. As we saw a show on TV that recommended milk for fixing many
tomato 'woes', we have sprayed the plants with milk. It will either
kill them or cure them I guess.

There are two chances it will work...fat, and slim. In the meantime, the
infection is free to spread to the rest of your plants, and you are also
losing time to grow tomatoes, since you could just burn them and plant some
new ones immediately (in another spot obviously, or at least not in the same
soil.)

You have been given the organic remedy, its called "fire".

--
Tumbleweed

Remove theobvious before replying (but no email reply necessary to
newsgroups)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

In article , Peter Richards
writes

3. Even if I lived in the UK, this would not be a 'silly' time of the
year to plant tomatoes (i.e. I may have a hothouse).

Hmm.
I find it quite difficult (and expensive) to maintain my greenhouse
above 40 deg F in winter. This is at least 20 deg F too low for
tomatoes.

What are the light requirements for tomatoes? Are they happy with only 7
hours of daylight?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

"Peter wrote in message
I forgot to mention that I live in Australia,

Now we understand the problem, I thought your original post a bit strange
for the UK, welcome. We get posts and replies from all over, it's just we
need to know where you are outside the UK because of the season differences,
otherwise growing is growing. What part of Oz are we talking about, there's
a bit of climate difference between ,say, Adelaide and Port Douglas. :-)

As others have said, if it is "Tomato Blight" (and that's the same disease
as Potato Blight) then any Toms that have it already should be pulled up and
burnt, there is no organic cure for that disease.
However, and this is where I get flamed, you can prevent the infection of
plants by spraying with "Bordeaux Mixture" which is a mixture of Copper
sulphate and Lime. Whilst not used by strict organic purists it does appear
in organic catalogues and is used by some, especially if they have to grow
their crop outside. Just wash the fruit well before using.

p.s. Coincidentally, I was up at 3.30am this morning to collect an Aussy
relative from Heathrow.

--
Regards
Bob

Use a useful Screen Saver...
http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/
and find intelligent life amongst the stars, there's bugger all down here.

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Peter wrote in message
I forgot to mention that I live in Australia,

Now we understand the problem, I thought your original post a bit strange
for the UK, welcome. We get posts and replies from all over, it's just we
need to know where you are outside the UK because of the season
differences,
otherwise growing is growing. What part of Oz are we talking about,
there's
a bit of climate difference between ,say, Adelaide and Port Douglas. :-)

As others have said, if it is "Tomato Blight" (and that's the same disease
as Potato Blight) then any Toms that have it already should be pulled up
and
burnt, there is no organic cure for that disease.
However, and this is where I get flamed, you can prevent the infection of
plants by spraying with "Bordeaux Mixture" which is a mixture of Copper
sulphate and Lime. Whilst not used by strict organic purists it does
appear
in organic catalogues and is used by some, especially if they have to grow
their crop outside. Just wash the fruit well before using.


LOL. Flame coming :-) I'd really like to understand on what basis anyone can
call such a toxic mixture of chemicals 'organic'. Whats 'organic' about it,
precisely, other than the bizzarre fact its in an 'organic' catalogue for
historical resaons? Is that the definition of organic now?
And ...'Just wash the fruit well before using'? What about all those ads
decrying pesticides and complaining 'why should I have to wash chemicals off
my food before I eat it'?

--
Tumbleweed

Remove theobvious before replying (but no email reply necessary to
newsgroups)

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

The message
from "Franz Heymann" contains these words:


"Peter Richards" wrote in message
...

2. Tomatoes are, .... well, tomatoes, it doesn't matter where they
are grown (UK or Oz),

Tell that to Inverness, UK.

3. Even if I lived in the UK, this would not be a 'silly' time of the
year to plant tomatoes (i.e. I may have a hothouse).

Well, yes, it would. Scotland has already had snow, England has
already had frost,and we're past the autumn equinox so daylight hours
AND light levels are falling fast.

Welcome to this newsgroup. Please don't be angry or run away or be
apologetic.
Maybe we can all talk sense if we always remember that our seasons are out
of phase.

We can talk better sense if we bear in mind the charter of this group,
and the advice posted every week to newcomers;

" Uk.rec.gardening is based in the British Isles for the discussion
of gardening within those islands.(snip)Contributors from outside the
British Isles are not discouraged but,because this newsgroup is intended
to help gardeners in the British
Isles, it should be remembered that all questions and answers should
relate to a climate similar to that found in the British Isles."

Janet.

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:170534

The message
from "Bob Hobden" contains these words:

p.s. Coincidentally, I was up at 3.30am this morning to collect an Aussy
relative from Heathrow.

pedant

Difficult to find a 3.30 am in any other part of the day......

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Organic remedy for tomato blight ?
 

The message
from "Tumbleweed" contains these words:

LOL. Flame coming :-) I'd really like to understand on what basis anyone can
call such a toxic mixture of chemicals 'organic'. Whats 'organic' about it,
precisely, other than the bizzarre fact its in an 'organic' catalogue for
historical resaons? Is that the definition of organic now?
And ...'Just wash the fruit well before using'? What about all those ads
decrying pesticides and complaining 'why should I have to wash chemicals off
my food before I eat it'?

It's there largely because no better remedy has been found.

In any case, the word 'organic' has been hijacked to mean something else
entirely. Any growing thing is organic, whatever nutrients or *icides
have been used on it.

It's about time we reclaimed it before it goes the way of 'nice' [1]
And of 'sophisticated' [2]
And 'Prevaricate' [3]

[1] exact, precise, to the point. Often used to mean pleasant by those
who are not nice.
[2] Adulterated, deceitful
[3] To lie, dissemble, evade by deceit (When 'procrastinate' is meant)

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm