THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 20, 1995 TAG: 9508170077
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
From Manteo to Melfa, readers have complained about wilt and disease on their tomatoes this summer.
``It's true,'' say Virginia Tech specialists, ``This has been a lousy year for tomatoes.'' And there may not be much you can do, except take comfort in knowing you're not fighting the battle alone.
From Manteo, G. Weatherly writes that tomatoes began wilting at the top, one plant at a time, and within three days, they wilt to the bottom. ``Then we destroy the plants,'' Weatherly writes.
Andre Evans in Virginia Beach says, ``Clearly this is something that is going around. I bought some plants - 4 to 5 inches - and they had the blight before I could get them in the ground! Needless to say, they were destroyed.''
T.G. Stanton in Chesapeake says, ``I had some type of blight or wilt on my tomatoes this year that I have never had before. Some would just wilt and stop growing. Others would die out at the sides or top. A neighbor had the same thing in his tomatoes, and they were a different variety.''
It's evident that many home gardeners are having tomato problems. How do you prevent the problem next year? Here's advice from Virginia Tech experts.
Blight: Part of the problem may be infected seed from the producers. This can'be be proven, but there are strong suspicions. The plants get early blight, which could be on the foliage when you buy them. Buy your plants from a different source next year.
Soil problems: Never grow tomatoes, eggplant or peppers in the same area two years in a row. Always rotate those vegetables. They must have good, loose soil with excellent drainage. Tomatoes will get wilt if they sit in water, but this has been a very dry summer, so that probably was not the cause.
Spraying: Begin spraying early next season with Zineb or Bravo. They are available in garden centers. Follow directions on the label; most recommend weekly sprayings.
Uneven ripening: For the first time, my tomatoes have ripened with yellow streaks. Experts say this is caused by the abnormal heat.
White flies: Most likely white flies were on the plants when you bought them, but you couldn't see them, experts say. I have the most white flies ever, and they've moved from tomatoes to eggplants to cucumbers. You can spray with any number of chemicals, but because white flies produce a new batch every five days, it's nearly impossible to get rid of them. Neem is a new botanical that is said to be best, but it's expensive. A good wind blowing through your garden helps keep them at bay.
With August almost over, there's little you can do about sickly tomato plants. You can prepare for next year by following the advice above.
Tear out your plants after a freeze and destroy them. Then hope for better tomato days in 1996. by CNB