[mickwood]

Hi Peeps!!

 :happy: :happy: Hope you've all had a great Christmas and new year?  :happy: :happy:

I'm starting to think about tomatoes, gonna sow some in the greenhouse at the end of the month. BUT....last year my entire crop was stabbed in the back by blight 

So...anyone got any tips on how best to prepare for growing toms again this year? I was planning on disinfecting the greenhouse (jayes?) and then investing in some Dithane...reluctantly!

Do you think that'll give me a fighting chance??

cheers

Mick

[DD.]

Yes.

I used Dithane on the plot and was the only one on the site with tomatoes.

[madcat]

Bordeaux mixture (well, it was organic!    ) and ditto the only ones on the site.  Next year will continue to spray, but probably with Dithane.  Note, and I am sure DD will agree with this (he nagged me along when I was losing heart last year) - you do have to keep up with the spraying programme; once won't cut it.

[DD.]

Once certainly won't cut it, but you don't need a whole sachet in one spraying, a half of one did all mine and I'd got a lot!

There's 6 sachet's in a box, so that's 24 weeks worth of spray at least. One box should last be 2 years. One of the guys on our site said it was too expensive as he was throwing his toms in the skip.

Bordeaux mixture, by the way, is set to be banned from the end of 2013. Has nasty stuff called "copper" in it.


https://secure.pesticides.gov.uk/garden/getfullproduct.asp?productid=7915&pageno=1

[Jonajo]

is all this treatment for toms grown outsite on the allotment or in the greenhouse for the full growing?

[mickwood]

Thanks DD, yeah read about the copper in that stuff. Feel as if I'm 'cheating' using dithane but I got blight so bad last year that it's a case of use it or don't grow toms  

Do I need to do anything to the soil, in preparation? Although, I grew straight into the ground last year so maybe growing in pots this year may help?

P.S. I've got one of those 'pressure spray' bottles, you know the kind of things. Handle to pressurise the container then a tube/handle to spray. Would that be the best thing to use. oh and would using dithane in the greenhouse mean I couldn't grow anything but toms there?

cheers

Mick

[DD.]

If you grew in the soil last year, you'll need to change it & add some fertiliser. I grow in large pots in the green house, using compost from grow bags.

However the heavier cropping and tastiest tomatoes were the ones I grew outside, particularly "Shirley". They just went straight into the soil with no special treatment at all.

[strangerachael]

Should we be disinfecting the pots and canes we used for toms last year?

[mickwood]

If you grew in the soil last year, you'll need to change it & add some fertiliser. I grow in large pots in the green house, using compost from grow bags.

'change the soil'?? for what? where do i get 'new' soil from? what do I do with the 'infected' soil.....sorry, I think I'm being thick 

[penance]

I think DD means replace your greenhouse border soil.
Its worthwhile doing each year anyway. I just replace with compost and maybe a bit of rotted manure mixed in.

Chuck the old greenhouse soil on the plot.

[DD.]

Spot on!

[JayG]

2009 was the first time for years I got lucky blight-wise with growing tomatoes half-in/half-out of the coldframe.

I had a great crop from only 3 plants; this year the odds are that I will struggle again, as I do with the idea of using anything other than slug pellets to control pests and diseases.

Using fungicides such as Dithane is very tempting but I can't quite bring myself to do it; sometimes I think that having limited space is an advantage as any failures will seem small in relation to the successes.

[solway cropper]

Another thing to bear in mind is when you plant you toms. Up here blight doesn't normally appear until late July/August so you can get some crop if you get them in the ground early. My outdoor toms gave me a couple of trusses before they succumbed to blight but the greenhouse ones were not touched by it. Mind you I am scrupulous about cleaning things and always use fresh compost for everything in the greenhouse.

[SUTTY1]

maybe i wrong but we all here about crop rotation to keep down pests, fungus etc and for good harvest's,  but so many grow toms in greenhouse year after year. so i agree  change soil every year, sterilse everything, and/or grow in pots of new compost

[cooperman]

It is VERY unusual to get hit with blight in a greenhouse grown crop.  I have grown in a greenhouse for many years and never had a problem nor have I had to spray.  However, my outside crop (in the garden) is susceptible so I do spray these outside from the end of June.

Blight is airborne and with the right conditions does take hold very quickly.  I gave up years ago trying to get a crop off my lottie.  I have found that to get the best crop off of Toms they do really need a little daily attention, ten minutes is usually enough so not too onerous.

One point, I never use rainwater in the greenhouse, tapwater only.  Also my vents are on the non-prevailing wind side. I have 4 down one side. I NEVER leave the door open for ventilation.
I also have a electric roof fan to aid circulation in very hot conditions.  I always grow in large florist pots using grow bag media to fill these.  I used to grow direct into the soil, but as I had to change this every other year anyway i moved into pot culture.  I also have a self watering drip feed system.  Always get a good crop of Toms, peppers and cues.....  I only grow enough for my own consumption so can have a good mixture.