Ah... I always get "blight" -- or something -- on my tomatoes. The only "cure" I have found is to fertilize them such that they "outgrow" it... the bottom part of the plant is pretty much dead, but the top is still growing. Well, that and growing plants inside a "hoop house" -- which I did this year, with the types that are always the earliest to succumb to disease, and they not only started producing earlier but are still ripening fruit.

Cindy,
I have never sprayed a tomato in my life. Worst bug I get is what we call garbage bugs. Little black beetles that get into a crack and eat away.

Sandy,
I've had blighted leaves the last couple of years. I stake mine, so they don't get a lot of splash from rain, but apparently enough. I also took off bottom branches that don't bear anyway.
Still ripening fruit. We are down to 5 green tomatoes in a bowl and I think only one is going to change color.

I can't recall ever spraying tomatoes either Sally. It is too late to try and save any now as frost is right around the corner.

I have too many tomato plants to spray them!!

Cindy,
I hope I never need to spray for bugs on mine.

Rita,
You and me both. Luckily, I've never needed to.

There are years when the tomato plants seems to get far more of the yellowing of the leaves than happens in better years.

I will probably just pull my tomatoes for this year because of the fruit fly problem it is not likely that I will get any more tomatoes.

Hemlady said:I will probably just pull my tomatoes for this year because of the fruit fly problem it is not likely that I will get any more tomatoes.

Well, at least it is late in the season so not like you will be missing too much production now.

I have to re-evaluate my paste tomatoes for next season. I had 11 plants this year but not all varieties were an equal success.

I really don't have to grow any paste types if I don't want too as I don't make sauce. Used to years ago but simply too lazy now. And even then I used whatever I had. I would always take the blemished and cracked tomatoes, cut away the bad parts and throw them in the pot with the Romas. Back then I grew Romas.

I didn't go for too many paste tomato types or plants this year.

Guess I will be counting on my two plants of San Marzano Retorta. No comparison with regular San Marzano. The SMR fruits are simply huge!! Loved them.

I also have both Yellow Icicle and Black Icicle. Roma shaped but good eating fresh. So don't have to be cooked.

Trying a new sauce tomato this year--Belmonte. It is supposedly a pear shaped, Italian heirloom that is good for sauces and roasting. Since I always roast my tomatoes for sauce, this should be good, right????

Newyorkrita said:I didn't go for too many paste tomato types or plants this year.

Guess I will be counting on my two plants of San Marzano Retorta. No comparison with regular San Marzano. The SMR fruits are simply huge!! Loved them.

I also have both Yellow Icicle and Black Icicle. Roma shaped but good eating fresh. So don't have to be cooked.

Rita - no Viva Italia this year? I'm going to have 3 of those, plus 1 "Health Kick," which doesn't have the greatest reviews for flavor but is supposed to have high levels of "lycopene," so I've been wanting to give it a try.

Weedwhacker said:

Rita - no Viva Italia this year? I'm going to have 3 of those, plus 1 "Health Kick," which doesn't have the greatest reviews for flavor but is supposed to have high levels of "lycopene," so I've been wanting to give it a try.

No Vivia Italia's because I used to just buy plants but of course now doing my own from seeds. And I do really like the San Mazano Retorta's so have those instead.

This year I am trying Oroma, a paste type from Oregon.

I had to look that one up, Caroline -- sounds like a good OP variety, the reviews on Victory Seeds say it is very productive. I'll have to think about that one for next year!

Should have taken a picture of the San Marzano Retorta tomatoes I picked yesterday but forgot. Some are positively huge!!

Been picking some San Marzano Retorta. Love these. Big and not dry and mealy like the common San Marzano (which I never liked).

I grew the San Marzano Redorta but I wasn't happy with yield and it drives me crazy the shoulders stay so green. They are a huge tomato and good fresh eating though.

abhege said:I grew the San Marzano Redorta but I wasn't happy with yield and it drives me crazy the shoulders stay so green. They are a huge tomato and good fresh eating though.

They really are big. I like them ever so much better than the common San Marzanos.

They didn't yield very well for me, either.