Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Jamboian on July 20, 2011, 20:32

Title: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: Jamboian on July 20, 2011, 20:32

Hello fellow plotters! I hope you are all well, here's the prob, we planted too many tom's in the greenhouse, as you do! but plans to keep them under control were thwarted by a spell in hospital and a long enforced rest for me, long story short, lots of side shoots/multiple stems, lots of flowers/fruit, but some stems are breaking and going mouldy or going mouldy and breaking, any clues as to what's wrong. Ta!

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: DD. on July 20, 2011, 20:36

Sounds like lack of ventilation due to the overcrowding. You'll have to thin them out!

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: arugula on July 20, 2011, 20:36

Photos would help, but it sounds likely that you may have developed botrytis with lack of air circulation. :(

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: DD. on July 20, 2011, 20:42

I think actually maybe the tomatoes have.  :lol:

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: arugula on July 20, 2011, 20:43

Well you never know....  :tongue2: "A case of" then. :D

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: Jamboian on July 20, 2011, 20:57

 :( Yup googled  botrytis and it looks like that's the one. will it wipe out everything or can I limit the damage ?

yes so far it's just the tom's and not me.

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: mumofstig on July 20, 2011, 21:11

cut off all the bits with grey on them - this may mean actually losing a few plants if the rotted stem is low down :ohmy:

Thin out any remaining bushy plants and let as much fresh air in as possible........even if it feels chilly outside :( Keep vigilent and carry on removing any more grey fluffy bits as they appear.

Keep the inside of the greenhouse as clean as possible and with luck you should still get some tomatoes to harvest :)

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: Jamboian on July 20, 2011, 21:33

Thanks D.D, Argyllie and esp Mum, I think/hope we can beat this, been reading about it and i've made almost every mistake possible (having open heart surgery didn't help) but will salvage what we can and do better next year,  thank you all again.

Be of good cheer 8)

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: DD. on July 20, 2011, 21:37

That, of course, you don't plan for!

I trust you're well on the mend.

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: Jamboian on July 20, 2011, 21:58

Thanks Digger! I'm coming along fine, my wife has the lotty under control while I take it easy, I'm allowed to potter in the greenhouse tho!

Keep Digggin! ::)

Title: Re: tomato plant rotting stems
Post by: arugula on July 21, 2011, 06:45

We got it in one tomato variety last year in the polytunnel and it wiped them out so we cleared them out pronto, whilst the variety planted next to them didn't succumb at all. Good luck with getting the affected ones cleared out and look after yourself and get well soon. :)