plant butcher
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Should I add Lime??

Hi everyone, I am new and have a ...well many questions that I hope you all can help me with. I have a container garden this year, my first one to try and having a few difficulties.... My tomatoes are tall and fruitful, but have come down with blight. I have started fungicide regiment, but since what I have read says that blight is calcium deficiency, I added some lime for the calcium...will this help or just raise the soil ph level too much??

I just added about a tablespoon per plant, also did this with my squash plants, the leaves looked yellowed with dark green veins which I believe I read was also lack of calcium or magnesium is this correct? I have more questions..but this is a start I suppose. thanks in advance

Soil is a miracle grow organic potting.....which I am not happy with, but I am slowly amending it with my compost that I have started this year.

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Kisal
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It may be more effective to spray your plants with a mixture of milk and water, as described in the following thread:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14825

You can find a lot of great information about tomato blight by using the search box in the upper left corner of each page here. :)

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!potatoes!
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calcium deficiency in tomatoes would be more likely to show up as blossom end-rot, not blight.

plant butcher
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sorry... let me clarify, they have blossom end rot from my observation, but when I took some leaves to local yard and garden center they said early blight. I believe it to be blossom end rot b/c I have pulled couple to toms. off plant with black holes/spots at ends and on a couple of toms. on the sides. thanks for replies by the way.

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Kisal
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It's very possible that you're dealing with both problems. If so, I think the milk spray might be the best choice of treatment. If I'm not mistaken, blight is a fungal problem, and the milk mixture is an excellent fungicide. It also can provide needed calcium. JMO.

(I'm certainly not the most experienced gardener around here, though. :) )

pepper4
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Hi plant butcher! The description of your plants sounds like mine looked. I also took mine to the nursery and they said lack of nitrogen and suggested lime. I also took the advise from those on the forum and sprayed plants with milk/water mixture. Not sure which if not both did the trick but it took about 2 weeks and they're now green, healthy looking, with flowers and small tomatoes. Don't know if that will work for you but it sure helped my mators :D Keep us posted!

plant butcher
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thanks for replies and advice, I will use the milk method as well, I did however already lime, and a fungicide, maybe they will straighten out.

On a different note, I just looked at my squash plants and now know why they are not producing, I think the vines have the borers in them, they look rotted/brown and split open at base of plant, and now I do not know how to remedy this problem :evil:

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Kisal
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Just enter the words squash borers in the search box at the top left side of the screen.

You will find many threads with advice about how to combat them. :)

plant butcher
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thanks again for help...I think I am going to try to start over. I think there is still time for me here, we have a relatively long summer. I think the best thing for me to do is just start regular pesticide regiment as soon as plant gets established somewhat. at least it is all in containers, so should be easily removed from pots and start over...I hate that though, all that work and care down the drain..lol.



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