Do I have blight?

[mags16]

My Gardener's Delight tomato plant has curling leaves and some marks on the leaves - is this blight? I have 2 other toms a few bags of potatoes that look fine.

[vegetable-gardener]

It could be but it does look to me that there is greenfly on there. The leaves will curl if there are some creepies under the leaf.

[Saturna]

It looks more to me like some sort of trace element deficiency going by the colour the leaf has gone, certainly doesn't look like blight to me

[mags16]

Thanks for the reply folks. I think it is a black fly attack. I sprayed it with a washing up liquid solution. Is there anything else I can do to save the plant?

[vegetable-gardener]

You can rub the blackfly and kill them this way.

[DopeyAlex]

Have you seen any blackfly on it???

Our toms (also gardeners delight) this year look very simular to yours. They are all in pots and we have put it down to lack of food, as they are now all in flower and still havn't been fed.

[mags16]

Thanks for you replies. I fear one tom plant at least won't make it. The leaves are very brittle and papery.

I don't think it's lack of nutrients - they are in a raised bed with a very good compost mix and have been fed tomato food once or twice. Up until a week or two ago, they were coming on brilliantly. I have flowers and fruit.

I'm trying to rub/wash off the aphids though there are not that many of them.

The weather here in Ireland has been very bad for the last week - cold/windy and wet. Maybe that has something ti do with it.

It's always depressing when my toms get sick. I put so much work into nurturing them, potting on, pinching out side shoots. And the joy of seeing the first flower and then the first tiny tomato.

And now something is killing them!

[David M]

In my experience of blight (weep) - it's pretty fast acting. If your plants are not on a serious downward spiral after a week of seeing the first blackening of leaf tips, then chances are it isn't blight. Blight also affects the stems...do you plants have black/dark splotches on the stems? My feeling, from seeing the piccy, is it's not blight.

[mags16]

Hi David

I now don't think it's blight. There are no black marks on the stems.

My potatoes are getting eaten too but I've caught it early and am spraying (with washing up liquid solution) and squishing the aphids and their eggs.

[mags16]

But it's not all misery in the garden.

I'm eating the most gorgeous spring onions, little gem, chard, raspberries, strawberries and the odd carrot!

The broad beans and peas are coming along a treat too.

[texeltom]

Originally Posted by mags16

My Gardener's Delight tomato plant has curling leaves and some marks on the leaves - is this blight? I have 2 other toms a few bags of potatoes that look fine.

looks bacterial,i'd rule out any kind of pest damage.either viral or bacterial,go lightly on the watering and improve ventilation if they are undercover.i'd remove all affected leaves aswell.

[Hammer]

David M is quite right Blight is very fast acting from my own sad experience last year with my spuds - within 48 hours they were in a terrible state.
Regards Hammer

[David M]

Hi Hammer,

Yes, it's pretty stunning really isn't it! I've had tomato plants go from super healthy looking to monstrously-diseased within about 72 hrs. I think I'd have given up on toms if it weren't for the greenhouse (an absolute savior when it comes to blight).

[Hammer]

Yes David M,
I was shocked at the speed of it, but i got advice from Lesley Jay (cheers from the crowd) here on the Forum and did,nt lose a single Potato.
I don,t have a Greenhouse but maybe next year.
Regards Hammer