16,949 Garden Web Discussions | Growing Tomatoes

If neither you nor a neighbor use herbicide, herbicide-carryover in the manure is a possible source.

See the link, then do the suggested bio-assay to verify, or not.

Here is a link that might be useful: clopyralid in compost

I had the same problem a few weeks ago with some tomatoes few feet away from my neiborâÂÂs land. I didnâÂÂt spray chemicals on my lawn, but a few days later I saw my neibor doing it - again, I suspect.

Strange enough only 2 or 3 out of about 15 plants were affected. Other plants located in other areas, 10-12 ft. away were NOT affected.

I pruned the wilted branches and the lower branches that were too close to the ground. Then I sprayed Copper (Bonide) fungicide, and about 10 days later, the poor tomatoes were ok.

In your case, even if you manage to "fix" the tomato, I don't think you will be happy with the yield.

This post was edited by Daniel_NY on Wed, Aug 13, 14 at 14:47

Probably they've got Downy Mildew.

Here is the plant. I used coast of Maine potting mix and quodyy compost. Also earth worm castings. But I haven't fertilized in a few weeks.

Elisabeth, I think it's best to use the whole name, which would be Orange Russian #117, bred by Jeff Dawson in CA and which I've grown.

I've grown Blush, bred by Fred Hempel in CA and it doesn't have wispy foliage. The only other one he bred that comes close is Lucinda, which few know, but it has Silvery Tree type foliage. I've also grown Speckled Roman, aka Striped Roman, bred by John Swenson, and a couple of folks have found that it's not stable, yet, and throws some yellow fruited plants and that's been named Roman Candle.

Coyote is a curious one. Initial seeds given to my best tomato friend of over 20 years, Craig Lehoullier, best known for Cherokee Purple, and it's bounced back and forth in SSE listings but has pretty much settled in the Other Species section as a currant variety, S. pimpinellifolium.

I love your pictures since just greenies here, too cold and too rainly, but as is oft said, hope springs eternal. ( smile)

Hope the above helps,

Carolyn

THANKS for ALL the great advise and comments guys... I'm chalking this year up to over-watering and my poor decision to prune some of the oxhearts (rookie mistake i know). Reggie & Elisabeth, great pics! Jealous!!
-KingJames

Deeby, what time does you farmers markets close? LOL

LOL.

The control plants are all the other growers around him that have the usual blight that shows this time of the year.
Neither he nor I are saying for sure that the aspirin is what is keeping the blight away, but we both have many years experience and either the blight just "skipped" his farm this year or the aspirin is having an effect.

Aspirin is an acid (acetylsalicylic acid ). It is also a thinner. Some people put a tablet in cut flowers water. I think it might prevent bacterial growth, as most bacteria cannot thrive in acidic environment. So that might the reason why the blight bacterium cannot live in that environment.

But, without a controlled study , I would not depend on it. OTOH, since it has no side effects on the plant you can use it.

Short answer- there is nothing wrong with those tomatoes. They look perfect. Some splitting is inevitable.

The spot on that part of tomatoes is normal in some large varieties.

It doesn't look like walnut or hickory which are the only plants I know of that create problems for tomatoes.

Okay, thanks guys. Looks like it's gonna be raining all night and through tomorrow. I suppose then I'll have an answer.

Fused blossom on a Rose tomato.

Thanks, Carolyn for a good reply. I remember the Fused blossom on the plants but I did not know about it. Still I have some tomatoes (fused blossom) on the plants. They are Brandywine Black the stem are not tangle and they are huge. A couple of them have small cracking lines. The plant have enough water and nutrient but the container are small it is about 3 US gallon. I water at least twice a day. Soon they are going to be ripe.

Linda you are cleaver. I only knew after I cut off the stem. Next time I will do just like you did. The two tomatoes with roots I put them on a small pot, just for experiment.

Daniel you got a very nice tomato.

That's the spirit, Lionheart. I grew potatoes this year too, but harvested before the blight showed up.

I took one bed out yesterday, and will finish this week. I'm checking the maters I rescued every day. Some are hanging tough.

Next year, I'm using fungicide. Gotta study up on its proper use.

I usually use fungicide, but got lazy this year and lulled into a false sense of security because it wasn't too humid and the weather had been pretty great. That'll teach me. :-)

So, Cucumbers, we'll get it sorted out eventually.

MANY comments on various gardening forums over the years about Burpee re- naming known varieties.

What good information. Thank you! Yes, that Pennsylvania Vegetable Research Program study was what I had found. Don't know why I was remembering a peculiar number 17.

That is disappointing if Burpee is renaming varieties. It is frustrating enough with nursery grown plants mislabeled or renamed, or of course, not named at all. I had thought that growing from seed, I might have more certainty.

At least the packet told the truth where it said "high yielding."

I think I'll be saving these seeds.

I don't know if these are ALWAYS in my rotation (I really like to experiment each year), but the varieties below have done well and I would recommend them to someone in a heartbeat:

Cherry:
Black Cherry
Sungold
Mountain Magic
Dr. Carolyn (more ping pong size than cherry)
Sweet Million

Early Varieties:
Kimberly
Pink Honey

Reds:
Rutgers
Celebrity
Marianna's Peace
Omar's Lebanese

Yellow/Orange:
Azoychka
KBX
Hugh's

Bi-color:
Pineapple
Berkely Tie-Dye

Greens:
Cherokee Green

Blacks:
Cherokee Purple
Indian Stripe

smithmal

This post was edited by smithmal on Mon, Aug 4, 14 at 22:22

To Deeby - Have you planted many winter tomato beds? What works for you?

Growing as I am in Toronto I may be the northernmost person to chime in here but I've always had good success with Paul Robeson's. \

Reasonably loose well composted soil.

Blood meal, Bone meal and Muriate of Potash plus a small amount of epsom salts and calcium phosphate to start the season. Jobe's organic tomato spikes as soon as the plants get to about 16 inches tall.

Drip irrigation set so that the plants get at least a small amount of water every 3 days,

I find I have to trim/prune the plants to keep them under control or they grow (VERY) tall and thin then fall over.

In a normal year they leave my basement around May 15 and have ripe fruit by mid/late July.

My PR was one of my first dark tomatoes to produce... and the fruit was good. Not real productive (~12 fruit), but tastes good. The plant now looks like it is dwindling... more than any other of my tomato plants.

Cuostralee, Opalka, beefsteak and 1884 still going strong!

Had my first CP! it was great! We haven't had much rain and I've been careful not to overwater. Tried my first Azoychka and I wasn't crazy about it so I'm hoping the ones ripening will be better.
Edie, ripening inside does not affect the flavor. If you've had a lot of rain, that would do it, taste wise. I bring mine in at the first sign to avoid splitting from rain, weak flavor and the squirrels.

Black Krim - I have to pick more tomorrow, expecting heavy rain Wed (guess I won't be going to market, not that I expect that many anyway).

I can't wait to taste these! We ate some cherry tomatoes today (SS100 and GD, Sungold need more ripening).