When we returned from our camping trip, I rushed to the tomato patch to see how it was doing. To my dismay, I discovered that in the 4 short days that we were gone, the leaf spot returned with a vengeance. How can this be? I removed infected leaves and drowned those plants (and the soil around them) in fungicide the day before the camping trip. I thought that, even if I'd left some infected leaves - ones that had the fungus but were not yet showing damage - the fungicide would have taken care of the problem. Evidently not!
Nanny said that it had rained nearly every day while we were gone, which would have washed off some of the fungicide. But I know that the fungicide got at least 24 hours on the leaves. Does it take longer than that to work?
Another possible explanation for the return of the fungus is that I tilled around the tomatoes after I sprayed them, and I did not go back and spray the soil again. The fungus lives in the soil. I probably killed the ones on the surface, then turned up new, living monsters to attack my plants. And, with all this warm rain, fungus growth conditions have been ideal.
The frustrating part is that I can't do anything about it right now. I want to try a different fungicide - one that contains copper. The garden center only had it in expensive gallon jugs. They're ordering some quart containers, which won't be here until Tuesday. Even if I had the stuff right now, there wouldn't be any point in applying it, as it's still raining and is supposed to rain again tomorrow. But, come Tuesday afternoon, lookout fungus, I'm coming for you.
On the up side, I did discover a few almost-ripe tomatoes on the vines. I'm going to leave them there until they are perfectly ripe, then I'm going to make myself a delicious tomato & mayo sandwich on sourdough bread, if a squirrel or some other beast doesn't beat me to them.
----------------
No comments:
Post a Comment