A few weeks ago I bought a mature tomato plant with existing green fruit so we could start getting a crop while our starters develop. I bought this plant at Wal-Mart. Apparently, this is yet another lesson to buy locally. I get it, Mother Nature, alright? I get it!
Anyway, it has septoria leaf spot. It's controllable with a fungicide, but our plant is too far gone. We can continue to treat the other plants in the container, and then it's probably a good idea to not plant tomatoes in that container for a year or so, I think. The half dozen tomatoes still on the vine are just turning yellow and orange, so in a day or so, I can put them in the window for final ripening and take that plant out altogether.
Supposedly copper can help control this? I'd like to avoid chemicals, but I'm not entirely opposed to using a fungicide. Thankfully, I used to work in the Agri College at the UofA, so I'm going to check in there with the tomato researchers and/or Extension Service people and see what they have to say; alternatively, I have friends at our farmer's Coop. Also, my grandmother's family were tomato farmers, so she may remember some things they used.
The white dots are telltale.
Grrr.
Stupid fungus.
4 comments:
Hi Amalie! My wife likes to buy things at Wal-Mart also, thinking she is getting a deal, but I cannot recall ONE plant she has bought that has done well. Most stores near us now offer some sort of plant guarantee so I try to avoid the mega stores any chance I can.
My tomatoes always get blossom end rot... I love them, but I've never managed to grow them! Sigh.
Stay away from Hell Mart, oh, I mean, Wal-Mart. ;)
The best herb/veggie plants I got last year came from a local farm. And the prices were terrific. But I have also had luck with those Bonnie Pea Pot plants from Lowe's.
Sorry about your tomato plant; that stinks! But everthing else looks great! :)
Interesting info on the fungus....you answered a long standing mystery for me! Thanks for the great info and site.
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