Member discussion regarding the methods, varieties and merits of growing tomatoes.
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January 1, 2017 | #16 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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I tried it on the powdery mildew on my squash, and it seemed to do as well as the copper, which is to say not a terrific job. EB came for my tomatoes as always, but it came late, and it was extremely well controlled on everything except Coyote, which I think is just an especially susceptible plant, and which was kind of hard to spray because it's so shrubby. It's hard to make conclusions because we had unusual weather this year, from a super rainy and cool May to an unusually brutally hot stretch from the middle of June through most of July. But I plan to use the same combination of copper alternating with Serenade this year again. |
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January 1, 2017 | #17 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Conway, AR (zone 7b)
Posts: 13
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I alternate between chlorothalonil, liquid copper, and Serenade. Like gorbelly noted, it seemed that the Serenade was the most effective this year against the bacterial speck/spot, especially on the peppers.
I've always favored the copper formulations that were 10% copper soap, especially Soap-Shield. I see that the Southern Ag brand that was mentioned is "copper ammonium complex". Does anyone have any experience using both kinds, and which seemed to be better? |
January 1, 2017 | #18 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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I avoid neem because I don't want to hurt beneficials. This year, I relied on beneficials heavily by interplanting specifically to attract and nurture them. It was really successful. If not for the tomato pinworm epidemic this year, I wouldn't have had to spray anything for pests at all.
Even though many people say that neem doesn't harm beneficials, I haven't heard a plausible explanation of a mechanism by which it can be harmless to beneficials but eradicate pests, so I don't use neem as a fungicide. |
January 1, 2017 | #19 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 196
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This was my first serious gardening year so I don't have a lengthy track record but I used a solution comprised of baking soda, dish detergent and oil. I alternated between using cooking oil and Neem oil. I also used diatomaceous earth for pest control and did wonder if the DE and/or the baking soda concoction interfered with pollinators, it took a long time for my cucumber plant to actually start going from flowers to fruit - I think that the DE was more of a culprit than the baking soda concoction if only because I usually did the baking soda spray in the evenings.
One good thing I did (IMO), and this probably applies to pest control more than fungus control, was that I did daily inspections of my plants looking for signs of any kind of invader or disease, and probably did it more than once, I was downright OCD about it. |
January 1, 2017 | #20 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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This year I learned of an exception. I grew Sanditas (mouse melons, Mexican sour gherkings, Melothria scabra) and was confused because they start producing female flowers first. So you still have to wait, only this time, you wait for the males. I wonder what interesting environmental conditions led to evolving that particular behavior? You'd think female flowers would be more energy-intensive to produce, so you wouldn't want to waste them like that. Very odd. |
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January 1, 2017 | #21 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
Posts: 7,068
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I use Daconil especially as a preventative for Early Blight and a few others; but I also use copper spray the Southern Ag brand for speck, spot, and gray mold prevention. If those don't work I resort to the bleach spray for diseases especially gray mold that have taken hold despite the preventive fungicide applications and then follow up with one of them. I never mix any of them together.
I have a good friend who only uses the bleach spray and it is quite effective if applied weekly or after every rain. If used this way make sure to spray in the evenings and hit all surfaces with a fine mist. I use it every week to ten days on squash and cucumbers as a great preventive for mildews. I haven't had any on my squash since I started doing this nearly a decade ago and before that mildew got my squash even before the squash vine borers could. As for pests I use different things for different pests. Small sucking insects like flea beetles: Permethrin and soapy water Cucumber and potato beetles: Permethrin or Sevin Squash vine borer: Sevin powder applied to the stem only and reapplied after rain Cabbage worms and other chewing caterpillars: BT and Sevin if the BT doesn't work Pin worms on tomatoes, squash and cukes: Sevin liquid Stink bugs, Leaf footed bugs, spider mites, and really bad infestations of aphids: DE food grade, Permethrin, and very soapy water. Warning this will kill almost any insects so wait till absolutely necessary before using it and only apply in the late evenings. Most of the beneficials leave my garden once the temps get in the 90s and I try not to use this mix when they are active unless I am fighting spider mites but they are usually a late summer pest. My honey bee population has been steadily going up the past few years so my judicious use of this mix has not seemed to have had a negative affect on them so far. Bill |
January 1, 2017 | #22 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Georgia
Posts: 196
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January 1, 2017 | #23 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,069
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Or it could be that your cucumbers were wanting more water or nutrients. I find that cucurbits are picky about that. Their leaves and vines may look fine and healthy, but they can be stingy with fruiting unless they feel like there's an abundance of water and fert. So the small number of pollinators may or may not have to do with your DE use. |
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January 2, 2017 | #24 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,124
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For those of you that use liquid copper, is it actually copper sulfate crystals dissolved in water, maybe with some added surfactants, etc.? (I've never seen the liquid copper products.)
-GG |
January 2, 2017 | #25 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Conway, AR (zone 7b)
Posts: 13
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January 2, 2017 | #26 | |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7
Posts: 4,916
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I have to get fresh supply of Daconil and copper fungicide. I've already got Neem oil base concentrate.
__________________
Gardeneer Happy Gardening ! |
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January 2, 2017 | #27 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10
Posts: 9,283
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Southern Ag us what they sell at Home Depot and it is an already mixed liquid concentrate.
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January 3, 2017 | #28 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: NW Louisiana
Posts: 89
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I'm using the phosphorous fungicide like Agri-fos but I use the generic from TreeStuff. I really think it did the trick and did not see much foliar damage from what I would think was a fungus. This year I will try to rotate with copper since you are supposed to anyway. The phosphorous lists P. infestans late blight, along with "Phytophora spp" so some other "mystery" ones too. And it has no harvest interval either! I emailed the manufacturer and they said because it's systemic you only have to spray the tops. It seems almost like an organic treatment. Ordering the gallon from TreeStuff is far cheaper than the little bottles of Agri-fos.
For me, it's the spider mites that are the worst until the heat arrives in July and the plants stop setting and need to be pulled and watermelons planted. https://www.treestuff.com/store/cata...tem=844#detail |
January 3, 2017 | #29 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,124
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Had not heard of that one, and there are probably several others that would be new to me, also. I found this info useful:
http://www.greencure.net/what_is_greencure.asp It was a bit surprising to me that it is listed as only 25-35% more effective than baking soda. Most of the soda recipes that I've seen use vegetable oil and dish detergent as the "spreader sticker." Seems like a less viscous oil might yield better results, but that is just a guess. Anyone tried any other blends for the "spreader sticker?" -GG |
January 3, 2017 | #30 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,827
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Would any of you/have any of you used Actinovate combined with the above mentioned products? Daconil or Copper? Or is that overkill?
Thanks, Greg |
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