Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

Everything About Tomatoes
Post Reply
User avatar
Sue_CT
Reactions:
Posts: 4372
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:03 pm
Location: Connecticut Zone 6A

Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#1

Post: # 72337Unread post Sue_CT
Fri Jun 24, 2022 1:40 pm

What do you think? Last time I was in the garden, several days to a week ago, there were diseased lower leaves. I can now go out and try to remove them all. I have always read you should remove diseased leaves and then spray. Would spraying and allowing it to dry first prevent spreading fungal spores as I removed the bad leaves do you think? I guess it might encapsulate some of them, but more I was thinking if they touched the other leaves or spores became airborne and landed on other leaves or I cross contaminated with my hands, maybe the leaves would already be protected and prevent the spores from attaching. I am planning to spray with Daconil. I am thinking it couldn't hurt but maybe there is some reason I am not thinking of I would spray starting at the top and moving down and any drippage should follow gravity down to the already diseased leaves.

User avatar
Cole_Robbie
Reactions:
Posts: 1431
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:58 pm

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#2

Post: # 72338Unread post Cole_Robbie
Fri Jun 24, 2022 1:46 pm

Idk if daconil actually kills anything. I think it just coats healthy leaves. And you will be able to get better coverage with the diseased leaves removed. The answer to your question might be different with a different fungicide, like a bleach or peroxide spray. Either of those would kill the fungal spores before you could spread them around.

User avatar
Sue_CT
Reactions:
Posts: 4372
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:03 pm
Location: Connecticut Zone 6A

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#3

Post: # 72341Unread post Sue_CT
Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:01 pm

I don't expect it to kill the spores, just to coat the healthy leaves before disturbing the diseased leaves so the healthy leaves don't get contaminated during the removal process. Anyone who can remove diseased leaves without allowing any fungal spores to be disturbed or airborne, and without ever touching another leaf is definitely better at it than I am even when I am being my most careful. I also am not, and highly doubt anyone else does, go in the house and thoroughly wash my hands in between every plant to prevent spreading it myself. The best I have done in the past has been to TRY not to touch any healthy looking leaves on the next plant, but I doubt that I have ever been 100% successful.

rxkeith
Reactions:
Posts: 1193
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 5:57 pm
Location: keweenaw peninsula

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#4

Post: # 72344Unread post rxkeith
Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:33 pm

i am no expert sue, but i would carefully remove diseased foliage first and then spray.
minimize spread first. spray healthy foliage second.


keith

User avatar
Sue_CT
Reactions:
Posts: 4372
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:03 pm
Location: Connecticut Zone 6A

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#5

Post: # 72345Unread post Sue_CT
Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:36 pm

I know that is then general rule of thumb, so you are both probably correct, I just have to question things sometimes. :)

User avatar
ddsack
Reactions:
Posts: 771
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:26 pm
Location: Northern MN - USA

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#6

Post: # 72346Unread post ddsack
Fri Jun 24, 2022 2:41 pm

I have done it like you say, Sue, on the theory that once the daconil dries, the sprayed leaves will be less apt to get infected when removing and waving around old and diseased leaves. After spraying, that same day I'll go back with a trash bag and snap off any lower leaves or branches that don't look good. No, I don't wash my hands between plants, most of them will have the same type of leaf problems, so it's not like I'm spreading something that is not already airborne. But I do try not to directly touch any good leaves.

Occasionally, if I use Bill's bleach spray recipe, I spray and remove the bad leaves as I spray each plant, I figure the bleach wets down and kills and tacks down the spores to the leaves immediately so they won't float away.

User avatar
Sue_CT
Reactions:
Posts: 4372
Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:03 pm
Location: Connecticut Zone 6A

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#7

Post: # 72348Unread post Sue_CT
Fri Jun 24, 2022 3:22 pm

Well, I wanted to get those leaves off so I just went and removed them first. No where near as bad as I feared considering they have probably been there about a week and it rained yesterday. Reasonable temps today, but supposed to be around 90 this weekend so I will plan on getting out there to spray this evening. My oxygen level was down lower than I should let it get even with the oxygen when I came in so going to give it a bit and try to remember to turn it up a notch before carrying the sprayer out there. I will push my self a bit for my love of tomatoes but bottom line, my health comes first. Felt so good to get out there for a little though. :)

User avatar
ddsack
Reactions:
Posts: 771
Joined: Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:26 pm
Location: Northern MN - USA

Re: Any advantage to spraying BEFORE removing diseased leaves?

#8

Post: # 72372Unread post ddsack
Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:58 pm

Sometimes you just do what you can, when you can instead of trying to keep up with ideal practices. Gardening is not even fun if you get too stuck on following all the "rules".

Post Reply

Return to “Tomato Talk”