Rotten Brown Tomatoes

Leicestershire, United Kingdom

My tomatoes are grown outside on a south facing trellis. They are in a mixture of natural soil, while other plants are in a compost in contaners. The fruits grow and then the leaves start to go brown and some fruits also turn brown, leathery and wrinkly at the stalk end. See photo. They have been watered each day where necessary and fed with a tomato food once a week. On some plants, the fruit exhbits this (disease), whilst others on the same plant do not. There is no distinction between the pot plants and those in the soil. There are several different varieties planted, all seem to be affected in some way.

2 Sep, 2009

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tomato blight

Answers

Spritzhenry

If the leaves and the stems are going brown, it sounds like blight, I'm afraid. You'll need to pick all the edible tomatoes and destroy the plants - not in the compost bin, though. Burn them if possible.

The soil can't be used for growing tomatoes next year, either, as the spores stay in it.

2 Sep, 2009

Ian_digs_v2

As always Spritz. Your bang on. You can't grow potatoes or any other related plants in this area either. I always suggest that you try soaking your ground with a solution of 1 cap Jays fluid to a gallon (4.5 ltr) of water. Your not on your own with this, blight has devistated plants the length and bredth of the country again this year and is due mainly to warm damp conditions during the growing period (summer) I lost all of my outdoor plants very early in the season because they were planted to close together, In future try giving your plants more space to allow air to circulate.

By the way Roger, welcome to GoY.
Best of luck for next year.
Ian.

2 Sep, 2009

Ricky

ian and spritz know their stuff my friend its blight i lost 200 in my polytunnel im going to have to use dithane next year for the first in 30 years of growing toms its a sign of the times eat the good toms my friend and burn the rest good luck

2 Sep, 2009

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