Too much rain too often

b54red · August 13, 2012

After being in drought conditions for years down here we seem to have broken the pattern this summer. We have had a decent amount of rain most of the summer cutting the need for watering drastically. The problem has been the last two weeks. I set out most of my fall tomato plants in the past 3 weeks and then about 2 weels ago it really started raining. It rained every day for 10 days and when it wasn't raining it was misty and damp. I think that I received more rain in the past month than all of last year. For a while the plants loved it but I was unable to keep any kind of fungicide on the plants. I did manage to spray with a dilute clorox spray between showers one day about a week ago. It stopped raining yesterday and I was able to inspect my plants closely. I have some disease that I am hoping is gray mold since it has affected the black tomatoes more than the others. I know it could be Late Blight but I have had it in the past and this looks a bit more like gray mold. I also have some moldy looking growth on many of the stems. I sprayed early this morning with the bleach solution and will apply Daconil this afternoon in hopes of stopping whatever it is but after today the chance of rain jumps back up again. I'm hoping the treatments will keep my plants hanging on long enough to get to the normally dryer and cooler weather of fall.

Despite the affect on the tomatoes I am more than grateful to see some real rain for a change. The bell peppers in my garden have absolutely gone crazy with this rain. It looks like I will have a bumper year for bells with the fall actually outproducing the spring and early summer.

deerhunter · August 13, 2012

gbeen dealing with the same rain up here.

ScottinAtlanta · August 13, 2012

Yep, same in Atlanta. I must have 500 peppers coming on, and the new tomato sets are putting on leaves like a nunn puts on sanctimony.

b54red · August 14, 2012

We just got another inch or so this morning to thoroughly wash off the Daconil. I did check and found quite a few shriveled leaves from the bleach treatment so I know I have a good bit of disease hitting mine. They were looking so good before this massive rainfall but we need the rain more than the tomatoes which may suffer from this constant downpour. It will take a lot more rain to make up for all the years of drought we have suffered.

b54red · August 18, 2012

It seems it is hopeless to apply Daconil right now. Since the last post at least 3 more inches of rain. I spent a good while yesterday cutting off diseased leaves on my new plants. All have now been negatively affected by this constant downpour and I have sprayed again using the bleach spray to try to keep the damage to a minimum; but the incessant rain is making it nearly impossible. The lose of leaves due to the spread of disease during the rain is making my young plants look like very old plants. Even my few remaining replacement plants are near death sitting on their table in cups. It has rained so hard that some have actually had the soil washed out of the cups because they couldn't drain the water fast enough. An added bonus is the reappearance of the hordes of worms that hit back in the spring and with the Dipel just washing off they are enjoying eating some of the healthy leaves still left on the plants.

b54red · August 22, 2012

Finally only a 20% chance of rain for the next few days. Maybe I can get some Daconil on my tomato plants later today. I thought I might yesterday but as usual we got a heavy rain followed by hours of misty weather. I was amazed to see the sun out this morning so maybe the deluge is over for now.

Skaggydog · August 22, 2012

My wife asked me to stop growing vegetables because of the price of water!!

You lucky MFers!!!

August 13, 2012	#1
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Too much rain too often After being in drought conditions for years down here we seem to have broken the pattern this summer. We have had a decent amount of rain most of the summer cutting the need for watering drastically. The problem has been the last two weeks. I set out most of my fall tomato plants in the past 3 weeks and then about 2 weels ago it really started raining. It rained every day for 10 days and when it wasn't raining it was misty and damp. I think that I received more rain in the past month than all of last year. For a while the plants loved it but I was unable to keep any kind of fungicide on the plants. I did manage to spray with a dilute clorox spray between showers one day about a week ago. It stopped raining yesterday and I was able to inspect my plants closely. I have some disease that I am hoping is gray mold since it has affected the black tomatoes more than the others. I know it could be Late Blight but I have had it in the past and this looks a bit more like gray mold. I also have some moldy looking growth on many of the stems. I sprayed early this morning with the bleach solution and will apply Daconil this afternoon in hopes of stopping whatever it is but after today the chance of rain jumps back up again. I'm hoping the treatments will keep my plants hanging on long enough to get to the normally dryer and cooler weather of fall. Despite the affect on the tomatoes I am more than grateful to see some real rain for a change. The bell peppers in my garden have absolutely gone crazy with this rain. It looks like I will have a bumper year for bells with the fall actually outproducing the spring and early summer.

August 13, 2012	#2
deerhunter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: hopkinton ma. Posts: 70	gbeen dealing with the same rain up here.

August 13, 2012	#3
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	Yep, same in Atlanta. I must have 500 peppers coming on, and the new tomato sets are putting on leaves like a nunn puts on sanctimony.

August 14, 2012	#4
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	We just got another inch or so this morning to thoroughly wash off the Daconil. I did check and found quite a few shriveled leaves from the bleach treatment so I know I have a good bit of disease hitting mine. They were looking so good before this massive rainfall but we need the rain more than the tomatoes which may suffer from this constant downpour. It will take a lot more rain to make up for all the years of drought we have suffered.

August 18, 2012	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It seems it is hopeless to apply Daconil right now. Since the last post at least 3 more inches of rain. I spent a good while yesterday cutting off diseased leaves on my new plants. All have now been negatively affected by this constant downpour and I have sprayed again using the bleach spray to try to keep the damage to a minimum; but the incessant rain is making it nearly impossible. The lose of leaves due to the spread of disease during the rain is making my young plants look like very old plants. Even my few remaining replacement plants are near death sitting on their table in cups. It has rained so hard that some have actually had the soil washed out of the cups because they couldn't drain the water fast enough. An added bonus is the reappearance of the hordes of worms that hit back in the spring and with the Dipel just washing off they are enjoying eating some of the healthy leaves still left on the plants.

August 22, 2012	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	Finally only a 20% chance of rain for the next few days. Maybe I can get some Daconil on my tomato plants later today. I thought I might yesterday but as usual we got a heavy rain followed by hours of misty weather. I was amazed to see the sun out this morning so maybe the deluge is over for now.

August 22, 2012	#7
Skaggydog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Southern California Posts: 131	My wife asked me to stop growing vegetables because of the price of water!! You lucky MFers!!!