Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[jpop]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

JPOP,
I will be very interested in how your Super Sioux turn out. It is a variety that I have been tempted to try.
Thanks Ginny
Larry

I will keep everyone posted As I am currently growing each of these varieties

[jpop]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Very nice. Only in Florida .
The rest of country is too cold for tomatoes.

Gardeneer

Thank you and I'm hopeful that this spring turns out to be successful but the swarms of flies, moths, and four legged creatures have made it difficult to get these this far already. Moved into the new location a couple months ago so this will be interesting to see how this location plays out and what I may have to alter going forward.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by jpop

Thank you and I'm hopeful that this spring turns out to be successful but the swarms of flies, moths, and four legged creatures have made it difficult to get these this far already. Moved into the new location a couple months ago so this will be interesting to see how this location plays out and what I may have to alter going forward.

Good luck with your new location.

I despise pests more than diseases. But then there is no choice but fight back.

Gardeneer.

[ginger2778]

Today continues to be 15 degrees above where we should be. Record breaking heat recorded for the last 3 days, and same today. We will finally be getting a cold front bringing temps to average on Saturday, but it wont be dry, there will be rain for the next several days with the cool weather. WE JUST CAN'T CATCH A BREAK.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by jpop

Thank you for the kind words and maybe this will be a future theme amongst the few on this forum that participate in South Florida. I know Marsha has a big event each year from her past postings and will try to attend the next one since its close by. Good luck with your spring grow.

That's wonderful! I am so glad to hear that you will attend! Next season/ year has to be better than this one, this is the worst gardening season I can ever remember since I started.

[Fiishergurl]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Today continues to be 15 degrees above where we should be. Record breaking heat recorded for the last 3 days, and same today. We will finally be getting a cold front bringing temps to average on Saturday, but it wont be dry, there will be rain for the next several days with the cool weather. WE JUST CAN'T CATCH A BREAK.

Sounds kind of like my soggy wet fall last year. The tomatoes were only good for sauce (and maybe drying but I didn't do any of that). So sorry to hear the weather is still not cooperating. It's such a bummer when you put so much effort into making everything right for growing and then mother nature takes a different turn on us. I resorted to picking all my tomatoes at first blush last fall so they wouldn't rot on the vine before they ripened.

Ginny

[captnkirk]

All four of the plants i am growing on my deck have it now.Had been spraying with daconile.

[Fiishergurl]

Do you use sticky fly traps?

Ginny

[ginger2778]

That is early blight. Trim off diseased leaves, bag em up and get them out of your garden, then spray with some liquid copper fungicide, covering upper and lower of leaves and stem down to soil line. Then use the copper every 7-10 days, and also after heavy rains in between. Careful- more is not better with liquid copper, use at no more strength than what they recommend as weakest usable strength(I use it at half of that even). Any stronger will cause leaf curl and destruction.

[captnkirk]

Originally Posted by Fiishergurl

Do you use sticky fly traps?

Ginny

No i am not using the traps but these plants are on a screened in porch.I did have a few whiteflys early on but i have them under control.I do plan on using the traps when i set out plants this spring.

[captnkirk]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

That is early blight. Trim off diseased leaves, bag em up and get them out of your garden, then spray with some liquid copper fungicide, covering upper and lower of leaves and stem down to soil line. Then use the copper every 7-10 days, and also after heavy rains in between. Careful- more is not better with liquid copper, use at no more strength than what they recommend as weakest usable strength(I use it at half of that even). Any stronger will cause leaf curl and destruction.

Thanks Ginger i was thinking this might be early blight but from a lot of pics i have seen of early blight it seemed that the leaves had dark spots and not always starting on the very tips of the leaves but you are probably right on.I have had this problem many times before.

I have been spraying with ortho garden disease weekly.They are on a covered screened in porch so very little rain gets to them.Have them on south side so they are getting a decent amount of sun.I will get rid of all infected leaves and keep up with the spraying.This is moving up the plants pretty fast as even some of the higher growth has it.It always starts at the very tip of the leaves.Thanks for you help i appreciate it

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by captnkirk

Thanks Ginger i was thinking this might be early blight but from a lot of pics i have seen of early blight it seemed that the leaves had dark spots and not always starting on the very tips of the leaves but you are probably right on.I have had this problem many times before.

I have been spraying with ortho garden disease weekly.They are on a covered screened in porch so very little rain gets to them.Have them on south side so they are getting a decent amount of sun.I will get rid of all infected leaves and keep up with the spraying.This is moving up the plants pretty fast as even some of the higher growth has it.It always starts at the very tip of the leaves.Thanks for you help i appreciate it

You are welcome. EB is a fungus that can travel airborne as a very fine particle mist is in the air, so even if the patio is covered and not direct rain received, the fungus still has much greater "spreadability" during a heavy rain as it is aerosolized. ( is that a word? LOL) Also, we have had our fair share of dewpoints being close to ambient temps, so that the dew is covering the leaves in the am, and this would apply to patio tomato plants like those outdoors. And you know wet leaves = fungus! BTW- Daconil type fungicides are better as preventives, once you get the active isease, the copper is far superior. I use the Southern Ag brand that I buy at HD. Very inexpensive.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

That is early blight. Trim off diseased leaves, bag em up and get them out of your garden, then spray with some liquid copper fungicide, covering upper and lower of leaves and stem down to soil line. Then use the copper every 7-10 days, and also after heavy rains in between. Careful- more is not better with liquid copper, use at no more strength than what they recommend as weakest usable strength(I use it at half of that even). Any stronger will cause leaf curl and destruction.

Is the fungicide a control measure which leaves the disease in the soil to return over and over again? Just curious. I have EB in my garden area and deal with it by attempting to grow varieties which are resistant or more often I attempt to find varieties which are vigorous enough to produce fruit in spite of it. I am growing currently 3 varieties which seem to work in spite of EB. They are Champion II indeterminate, Granada and Fourth of July. In general, but not always, F1 indeterminates with tall vines seem to work the best. Small bush plants such as many of the new dwarfs just get consumed.
Larry

[captnkirk]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

You are welcome. EB is a fungus that can travel airborne as a very fine particle mist is in the air, so even if the patio is covered and not direct rain received, the fungus still has much greater "spreadability" during a heavy rain as it is aerosolized. ( is that a word? LOL) Also, we have had our fair share of dewpoints being close to ambient temps, so that the dew is covering the leaves in the am, and this would apply to patio tomato plants like those outdoors. And you know wet leaves = fungus! BTW- Daconil type fungicides are better as preventives, once you get the active isease, the copper is far superior. I use the Southern Ag brand that I buy at HD. Very inexpensive.

Thanks again at least now i know what i am dealing with here.Will get some of the copper spray when i get a chance.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

Is the fungicide a control measure which leaves the disease in the soil to return over and over again? Just curious. I have EB in my garden area and deal with it by attempting to grow varieties which are resistant or more often I attempt to find varieties which are vigorous enough to produce fruit in spite of it. I am growing currently 3 varieties which seem to work in spite of EB. They are Champion II indeterminate, Granada and Fourth of July. In general, but not always, F1 indeterminates with tall vines seem to work the best. Small bush plants such as many of the new dwarfs just get consumed.
Larry

Larry, no worries about EB in the soil, it is an airborn disease of just foliage. Not like the fusariums and some of the bacteials.