[MoreWhisky]

Was talking to an old chap i met today and the subject of tomatoes and blight came up. I told him i plan on using Dithane this yr. He told me a spray of washing up liquid and water is as good.

Now i know we not meant to talk about things like this but has anyone had any sucess or even heard of this method?

[DD.]

Call me cycnical if you like, but why do we have things like Bordeaux mix (soon to be banned) and Dithane, if a squirt of Fairy works as well?

After last year when I had more tomatoes than I could shake a stick at, and no one else on the site had any, I'll stick to the proven Dithane, before nicking Mrs Digger's washing up liquid. Don't know if anyone else on our site tried home made remedies, if they did, it didn't work.

Mr. Cynical.

[MoreWhisky]

I totally agree with you DD but im just seeing if there is any truth in what i got told by some old guy.

[madcat]

How would fairy work against blight?  Blight is a fungus and is spread by spores in the wind.  Fairy wont kill the spores.  It might wash them off onto the soil, ready to dry out and be picked up again, but thats about the lot.  

I think the old boy is muddled up.  A Fairy and water spray does work a treat for greenfly - I believe it washes off their waxy coat that protects them from dehydration, and clogs the pores through which they breathe.   Probably makes it hard to hang on in there too.  Shooting them with a water pistol is also very satisfying!  

[Shadrak]

Where would the best place be to buy Dithane, Is it available in b&q type shops or just online store's lost to many toms to blight in the last 3 years need to fight back.

[MoreWhisky]

Most garden centres have Dithane , where as your local conrner shop has washing up liquid 

[mumofstig]

Where would the best place be to buy Dithane

Wilko's of course 

[Mr B]

Hi All,
  Totaly agree with DD, I went 2 years without a tomato then last year (09) I used Dithane and had best part of 100lb. The box cost around £3.00 and must be the best £3 I have ever spent.

[cooperman]

If you are growing Toms outside you MUST spray as in all the years I have grown them outside I have never had a successful crop UNLESS I sprayed., believe me I have tried and tried.  Different matter in the greenhouse, I have never ever sprayed and never lost a crop to blight under glass....

The Fairy Liquid scenario is only good for the pesky green/black fly and washing up!!

[shokkyy]

If you are growing Toms outside you MUST spray as in all the years I have grown them outside I have never had a successful crop UNLESS I sprayed., believe me I have tried and tried.  Different matter in the greenhouse, I have never ever sprayed and never lost a crop to blight under glass....

The Fairy Liquid scenario is only good for the pesky green/black fly and washing up!!

Blimey, I must be really lucky cos I've been growing tomatoes in the greenhouse and outside in pots or baskets or in the border for years and I've never had a single bit of blight until last year, when I lost every single plant, and I'd put that down to the fact it was such a horrendously wet summer last year. And I've never ever used a single spray of any description. They're lucky if I remember to feed them yet until last year I've always had really good crops.

I just wonder if it's down to location and the number of tomato plants/potatoes nearby. I live in a fairly isolated spot, with only one close neighbour who never grows any fruit or veg at all, so there wouldn't be any spore contamination coming from nearby plants. I wonder if that's what it is?

[Fisherman]

I grew tomatoes outside and in the greenhouse last year and lost the lot. I will definitely spray with Dithane this year which I have been avoiding in the past.

I assume you still spray when they are in flower? Also do you have to stop spraying a few weeks before the tomatoes are ready for picking?

[DD.]

This is what you do!!!

1 - Stick this site into your favourites, you'll see when blight is near you:  Blight Map

2 - Learn about Smith Periods

3- Sign up to Blightwatch

With Blightwatch, you'll get emails or text warnings in 10 selected postcode areas of Smith Periods, or "near misses". If you see a blight outbreak on the map, or get a notification of a "near miss Smith Period, start spraying. If unsure, err on the side of caution and spray early rather than too late. Dithane is not a cure, it's a preventative measure.

Note - fruit should not be eaten for, I think 7 days after spraying. DO NOT TAKE MY WORD ON THIS - CHECK THE PACKET. (Mine's in the shed on the plot, so I can't). Therefore what I do if I think it's time to spray, is pick any fruit that's ripe or will ripen in the next week, then spray.

Then keep up the regime of spraying every 10 days until the danger is past. If you can nurse your plants throught he danger time, you'll get many weeks at the end of the season where you don't have to spray and can harvetst tons of toms.

One sachet of dithane makes a lot of solution, so if you've not got a lot to spray, you can half or even quarter it. Or you could use it up on your spuds!

[stompy]

I only grow toms in my greenhouse and have never had blight on them
I tried growing them outside but they didn't ripen, not tried since.
What i don't understand other than if you don't have a greenhouse, is why grow them outside?
I tried it because i wanted to grow more exotics inside mine, chillies and mellons etc.
luckily i didn't stop growing indoors that year and got a huge crop as usual 
We as a family of 4 (and friends) get more than enough toms from our slightly over planted  6x8 greenhouse, so why would anyone want to grow them outside 


Andy

[DD.]

Simple - depends how many you use, (soup & pasta dishes are tomato heavy) and how many friends you've got.

I had no waste from 100 plants last year. That's a lot of tomatoes. (and friends).

[stompy]

Ha Ha Ha, that is a lot of toms, and friends.
We do make quite alot of tomato products, sundried, tomatoe juices, sauces (etc)
I usually plant 2 gardeners delight 2 roma and 8 alacante, feed well with comfry from a bucket (stinks) and once a month spray with seaweed soloution.
We get a huge crop, we were cropping from the middle of june right through to the end of november this year, the plants had gone brown but the fruit stayed on until we wanted it.
This was one of our best years, i think the seaweed stuff makes  a difference.


Andy