Fungus Among us?

I have been fighting at least one form of Fungus on my tomatoes and other veggies, every single year. I can treat it with various things and get it to go away...mostly, ...for a few days. Then it comes back. I can spray with he same thing again a few days later and it seems to have less effect. So I switch over to something different and it works ....for a few days. If I let it go too long it kills the whole plant within a week or two.

I am guilty of planting tomatoes too close and with our high humidity I know the shade from too many leafs too close together contribute greatly to the problem. Also I have learned that I can, and should, trim more branches down lower. So TRYING to adhere to better practices this year.

I am not sure exactly what this fungus is so I will take it in to a nursery for identification this year in hopes of better treating the problem. I am NOT sure, but leaning towards "Blight" as the strain?

I also have a bird feeder in my back yard and I probably get more than most birds and I suspect the droppings are contributing to the problem, if not out and out causing it?

Thoughts?  Advice?  Suggestions?

                                                      Steve

Have you contacted your local cooperative extension? https://extension.osu.edu/lao

I agree with Sanderson. Your Extension Service is a great resource...

I read an interesting article once where a gardener only kept the three top-most leaves on a single stalk.  I must try and find it.

alexandra. the article about growing tomatoes with only few leaves is in an article I have on www.JoyfulTomato.com  It was a 52 page booklet I downloaded called Organic Tomato Magic.

It is dated 2006.  I do not know if it is still on the Internet as I do not have time to search tonight.  It was something I intended to try then, so perhaps I will have a go this year.

csmartin33 wrote:I have been fighting at least one form of Fungus on my tomatoes and other veggies, every single year. I can treat it with various things and get it to go away...mostly, ...for a few days. Then it comes back. I can spray with he same thing again a few days later and it seems to have less effect. So I switch over to something different and it works ....for a few days. If I let it go too long it kills the whole plant within a week or two.


                                                      Steve

I would love to see pictures of the fungus on the tomatoes.  I know when I have contacted the county extension office in the past, they have requested pictures or parts of the plant they could exercise.  I am in SW Ohio, and I plant my tomatoes fairly close together (in the picture below, there are 4 tomato plants side-by-side in Texas Tomato Cages), and have been lucky so far in never having a fungus problem with them. I am always interested in researching tomato diseases since I only grow heirloom varieties, disease is often more of a problem with heirlooms.

I also have bird feeders, with lots of birds near the raised beds, and they have never caused a plant disease problem.  I also have Tree Swallows and Bluebirds nesting near the gardens, and they keep a lot of bugs under control.

Only 4 tomato plants??

sanderson wrote:Only 4 tomato plants??

Only 4 in that bed.  But, other beds have more - have to have enough tomatoes for canning and paste and sauce and.... 

What I meant was that if those were only 4 plants then they are huge and healthy looking.

I'm sorry Sanderson, I misread your statement - a senior moment..... 

Yes, there are only 4 plants in that 4'x8' section of the raised bed, and they are very large and healthy - they are loving all of that homemade compost that has been incorporated into those beds. I just top dressed them with compost yesterday to keep feeding the plants. Our tomatoes continue growing & producing until early October, so they need several mid-season top dressings of compost.

As stated in the book Teaming with microbes, compost tea foliage spray will keep negative items from taking up residence on plants leaves.  Cannot spray to often, I would try a balanced spray  ( bacteria / fungi )
And there's nothing better for your plants future.I never had a fungal problem as you have, however I notice a great improvement after 4 days of application.

I still have to try the compost tea spray. I finally bought a new 5-gallon bucket with gallon markings, so maybe I can actually get 'er done.

sanderson wrote:I still have to try the compost tea spray.  I finally bought a new 5-gallon bucket with gallon markings, so maybe I can actually get 'er done.

Sanderson, you'll not believe the results

jimmy cee wrote:Sanderson, you'll not believe the results

I may have to try foliar spray of the compost tea. I have only used it for soil drenching, but I may see improved results from foliar spray as well. I wonder if it would stop or reduce the flea beetle damage on the Mizuna?

Saw a video demonstration of a really neat Compost Tea Brewer today, but it is too much for an old man like me. It generates 10 gallons of compost tea each time, and I don't think I could use that much at once even if I could afford the brewer.  

Here is the video for anyone interested in the device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3BH4snMhBw

I think the general recipe is a handful of good compost for each gallon of non-chlorinated water.

I'm going to Petco tomorrow and see if I can find a cheap air pump and put one or two gallons of water in the food grade bucket for the chlorine to dissipate before adding the compost. Time for this procrastinator to do it.

sanderson wrote: Time for this procrastinator to do it.

If good things come to those who wait, isn't procrastination a virtue?