How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks


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How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks


We had this question a couple of weeks ago. Take out the plants, burn them
and don't re-plant toms in the same patch next year.

--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 17:11:17 -0000, "Heather Innes"
wrote:

How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks

Thoroughly clean out the greenhouse now, all internal surfaces etc and
sterilise the soil with Jeyes fluid. (Don't tell anybody!)

Sterilise any canes or pots you intend to reuse

Next year, try to buy blight-resistant types of tomato.

This year has been good for me, no blight at all except on the cucs
late in the season,

--
®óñ© © ²°°³

In article , Heather
Innes writes
How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks

Take all the advice given in this thread by Sacha and Ron - even better
if you can take out the existing soil and replace it with new. If not,
remember that the disease can be carried to other places on footwear.
Infected soil outside can often be cleared of blight if it rested, then
given a green manure before reuse. Bear in mind that all members of the
Solanum family are vulnerable to the same blight - i.e. tomatoes,
potatoes, peppers & chillies, aubergines, cape gooseberry and a range of
flowering and ornamental plants including nightshades. Avoid planting
any of those in soil which has recently had blight.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

"Ron wrote in message in reply toHeather

How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks

Thoroughly clean out the greenhouse now, all internal surfaces etc and
sterilise the soil with Jeyes fluid. (Don't tell anybody!)

Sterilise any canes or pots you intend to reuse

Next year, try to buy blight-resistant types of tomato.

That's "Ferline" then, a French variety with very large but normal shaped
fruit. Nice toms. Believe that T & M are selling them in 2004. There are
other resistant vareties in France I understand.
Any of you living in France heard of them?

--
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.

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 17:11:17 -0000, "Heather Innes"
wrote:

How do I get rid of tom blight
3/4 yrs now of it can I do anything to the soil
so I can go back to good crops next year
thanks

Below is an MS Word document on tomato / potato blight copied from a
1999 HDRA article. I have mentioned it before.

POTATO & TOMATO BLIGHT
Article from HDRA Summer 1999 (Issue 156)

Caused by fungus Phytophthora infestans; thrives best in warm & damp.

SYMPTOMS
Potatoes
Dark brown or blackish, round patches on leaves and later on stems.
The underside of theses patches develops a downy white coating of
spores. May spread rapidly.
Tubers develop dark, sunken areas which may cover whole tuber in a
dry, firm rot. Other fungi and bacteria may invade producing a foul
smelling soft rot. Tubers may develop this while in store.

TOMATOES
Foliage symptoms similar. Fruits develop brown leathery patches which
may appear several days after picking.

LIFE CYCLE
Disease suvives the winter in infected potato tubers in the soil or on
compost heaps. The foliage which grows from these develops spores
which spread on the wind. Can come from many miles away.
Spores develop at temps of 10 degrees C with humidity of 75% for 2
days or more.

NEW STRAINS
Until the 1970s there was only one type of blight in UK which was
unable to produce spores which could overwinter. Now there are 2
types which can mate and produce resistant spores.

PREVENTION & CONTROL
A HEALTHY START
Plant good quality seed from a reliable source.
Most Early vars are very prone. Plant and harvest early.
Good maincrops are Cara, Stirling, Teena, Torridon, Remarka and
Romano.
No blight resistant tomatoes as such.

GOOD HYGIENE
Remove potential sources of infection, especially ALL tubers.
Burn, dustbin, or bury at least 2 ft deep.
Same for tomato fruits.
A good active compost heap will deal with potato and tomato haulms.
Increase ventilation; space widely to avoid too much humidity among
plants.
Greenhouses should be well ventilated and waterproof. Water from
below.

IF BLIGHT STRIKES
In warm damp conditions remove all blighted leaves, even all foliage
to prevent spread to the tubers. Don't harvest the crop for at least
3 weeks to allow thicker skins to develop and soil-surface spores to
die.

Check stored tubers regularly.






Pam in Bristol