Despite having planted my entire tomato crop in a location far, far away from last year's blight-stricken garden, the tomato plants have developed a freckly fungus - Septoria leaf spot, if my guess is correct. They also have some tiny little critters on them. Time to get out the sprayer.
Pop-Pop said that I could mix the pesticide and the fungicide together in the same water, and knock out two problems with one spraying. I mixed up the first gallon of the concoction and had almost emptied the sprayer when dark clouds began to thunder overhead. I high-tailed it to the house, hoping it's all noise and no rain, so as not to wash off the pesticide/fungicide I've already applied, and I'm hoping the clouds will pass over soon so that I can get back to the garden this evening before dark.
The online articles I've read about Septoria and blight suggested that one means of preventing infection is to remove leaves that are close to the ground before the blight ever starts, and to thin out the foliage, overall, to improve air circulation. Next year, I'm going to be vigilant about doing that, to see if it helps. As for now, I'm cutting off all of the infected leaves, taking them away from the garden, and absolutely hosing the remaining leaves, top and bottom, with the sprayer.
I hate, hate, hate having to put this stuff on my vegetables.
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Looks like you're gonna be whooping your tomatoes, too!
ReplyDeleteIn effect, that's what I've done! I hope it works as well on the tomatoes as it did on the okra.
ReplyDelete