Fighting blight with bleach water

[Jeffross1968]

Ok, so just for future reference, I'm going to keep a little updated blog here regarding my fight to save my tomato plants. I have 3 types, Mr. Stripey, Vorlon, and Black Giant. Vorlon and Black Giant was started inside as seed, Stripey was bought as starters and all were transplanted in May I think. All have maters growing on them, and all have been experiencing problems. Nothing has matured yet.

Problem starts as small brown dots on lower leaves which grow larger, eventually turning the leaves yellow, then brown and dying. At that point, merely touching the branch will break it off. As time has gone along over the last few weeks, this has spread upward. I just spent an hour removing a ton of dead branches and leaves.

After talking to some old timers around here, some people at the feed store, and some online research, I'm guessing this is a fungus, probably early blight. The general consensus is to mix 3/4 cup to 1 cup of bleach to one gallon of water, and then spray each plant in it's entirety, including the soil underneath, every 10 to 12 days, and after every rain. Apparently this is the preferred spray to fight fungus.

If this doesn't work, I'm likely to lose my whole crop prior to any maters turning red. Very frustrated. I had an amazing garden last year...literally too many tomatoes. This year, I bought everything to can my extras and hate the idea that it might go unused.

I'll update when I know more.

[gixxerific]

https://www.tomatodirt.com/tomato-blight.html Check this link out.

Don't get discouraged, I do at times and than think what am I to do, not really much but take what is handed to me cause there ain't much else to do. So keep up the work and keep it going next year as well.

We all have bad years and this has NOT been a good year for most of us.

If it is early blight, that is a problem but not a death sentence. You can battle it and still get a crop.

[applestar]

If you are going to try ths spray, I recommend you try just a little bit on one part of a plant that is not the main stem first. Don't go spraying all of your tomato plants without testing first.

[ReptileAddiction]

^^^^^^^^^^ what they said

[Jeffross1968]

If you are going to try ths spray, I recommend you try just a little bit on one part of a plant that is not the main stem first. Don't go spraying all of your tomato plants without testing first.

Too late. Probably a good idea, and might be a very hard lesson learned, but I did kind of panic, and didn't want to see every tomato fall to this.

[Jeffross1968]

https://www.tomatodirt.com/tomato-blight.html Check this link out.

Don't get discouraged, I do at times and than think what am I to do, not really much but take what is handed to me cause there ain't much else to do. So keep up the work and keep it going next year as well.

We all have bad years and this has NOT been a good year for most of us.

If it is early blight, that is a problem but not a death sentence. You can battle it and still get a crop.

Thank you for the encouragement AND the link...I'll start reading now...

[Jeffross1968]

After reading that link, it looks more like septoria which is treated the same way as early blight. I guess I'll go get a copper spray and start that tomorrow. Thanks again for the link!

[ReptileAddiction]

Be careful with the copper spray

[gixxerific]

Yes copper spray being a metal can build up in the soil. If it were me I would use Serenade. It is safer and it's OMRI listed so that is good.

So it's septoria huh? When you said small circles that is what came to mind for me. That's why I put up that link it has side by side pics of the three main diseases. I had Spetoria run rampant a few years ago. I still got tomatoes but by the end of the season My plants had been picked clean of branches about 3-4 feet up.

You can see it here
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/Gardening/DSC05417.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Tomato trees! I don't have a picture, but I've had tomato plants look like that by the end of the season too, from the septoria. Amazing how they go on producing!

[Jeffross1968]

Is Serenade just as effective and readily available? What did you try treating with when you ended up with the tomato forest?