Avoiding blight on outdoor tomatoes

[John]

Hi Charles

I have a good crop of tomatoes on my outdoor plants although the fruits are green. I am concerned about late bight hitting before the fruits ripen. Is there any advantage in stripping the foliage, not now needed for growth, to prevent blight or will it just land on stems and fruits anyway?

I used this technique to protect potatoes, but the spuds were out of harm’s way!

Is there any advantage in cutting the plants at the base and hanging them inside to ripen the fruits?

Best wishes

John

[charles]

Its a misunderstanding that plants don’t need leaves any more after fruits are grown.
Yes they do.
To bring flavours and sugars to fruit.
Unless one counts colouring of fruit as ripening.

Also blight can land and grow on stems, not sure about fruits but I think so.

All in all therefore, as I say many times, remove older leaves lower down but keep those above trusses of fruit.
Outdoor tomatoes are often difficult in damp GB.
But in sunny Exmouth you may manage ripe fruit, hope so!

[Leif]

Two years ago I managed a good harvest before blight hit, last year virtually all of my huge Sungold crop was blighted. Hence this year I did not bother with tomatoes in beds.

I have read that blight is reduced by improving ventilation, meaning that the plants are allowed to grow in an open manner, and not in large intertwined clumps. I assume the idea is that damp induces spore germination. Mine were rampant, and unpruned, as I found I could get a huge harvest from each plant, but I suspect this helped blight. I had some bush toms in pots in a more exposed spot, and they did not get blight. Whether that was blight resistance, or better ventilation is unclear. Sad because homegrown Sungold toms are the most delicious thing I’ve eaten for a long while. Very few ever made it to the house.

[charles]

Sungold is a good choice for outdoor growing Leif, since it ripens early, but what a shame about that blight. I have had it happen to me too many times, almost a lovely crop then bouf, all rotting.
If I had no polytunnel, I would look at a way to keep rain off the leaves, though not easy.

[John]

Hi Charles and Leif

Thanks for the comments and advice. Unfortunately Sunny Exmouth, with Met Office severe weather warnings for heavy rain, is not quite living up to its name at the moment. Heigh ho! Perhaps the pesky asparagus beetles will be washed away.

John

[ElizaD]

Has anyone else spotted blight on their outdoor tomato plants yet? I have pulled off leaves as I’ve seen it and as yet there has only been a little, but with this constant showery weather I fear I will not see many ripe tomatoes if any this year. Again.

[charles]

Eliza my plants are clean so far. I wonder if you are in a particularly damp area, if so its always a gamble to grow outdoor tomatoes. If you have some blight already, the chances of a good harvest are diminished.
I have six supposedly blight resistant varieties in pots outside, to see!

[ElizaD]

I’m in Taunton Deane so, yes, very damp. It’s been a few years now since I had a really good crop of outdoor tomatoes but I do remember still picking them into October and having tomato and basil soup at every opportunity! Last year wasn’t too bad, I had a reasonable amount of tomatoes, although not all ripe, before having to pull up the plants. I didn’t grow them for a couple of years because it’s really depressing pulling them out without them having produced. Glad your plants are still clean, long may they remain so!

[bluebell]

I have to say that the ingenuity of allotment holders never ceases to amaze me. We always get blight sooner or later on the allotments (although rarely at home which is only 600 yds away).
One plot holder has made a shelter that is about 5 foot tall by 6 foot long by 2 1/2 foot wide. this has a double diagonal batten that both supports the structure and provides an opening. the whole is covered in polethene and remains shut until tomatoes get to the top. Then the front half is hinged and propped up to provide a cover at about 7 foot with effectively a pitched roof to keep the rain off but an open front.
Last year when blight struck they didn’t get it. Such a simple idea but very effective.

[charles]

Impressive.
How come if polythene is all around, like a wall, it does not blow away?
It sounds like a small polytunnel, I can imagine out works well and in view of blight, its worthwhile.
What is your secret at home?!

[Author]

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