Containers 2-6

I took these pictures after clearing blighted branches as best as possible.  The blight hit each of the 12 tomato plants.  This is a note to future Mark when he reads this next July, the moment you see what looks like blight pull the entire plant and get it off the roof.

Container 2 is the left most container.  It’s a Celebrity brand tomato and it suffered 1/2 loss.  Container 3 is some heirloom from Gesethemane and it was one of the first to develop symptoms.  It is completely gone.  I should have pulled this plant without mercy a week ago.  Note to future Mark, no heirloom tomatoes.  Container 4 is a Brandywine and doing OK — about 1/4 loss. Containers 5 and 6 are Early Girls.  Tomatoes are small about 1/3 loss to blight so far.  Leaves yellowing and little second growth.  Note to future Mark, don’t plant Early Girls next year.

Containers 8-12

This picture shows containers 8 through 12.  Container 8 is left most container.  It supports an Early Girl that lost 1/2 its branches to blight.  Container 9, a Brandywine, was a complete loss.  Container 10 is a Celbrity, 1/3 loss but good second growth.  Container 11, first container off the rails, is a Celbrity and almost (will be) a complete loss.  This was a weak plant from the beginning.  Note to future Mark, do not let weak plants grow.  Pull them and replace them.

Theory: The risk of blight increases with weaker plants of any variety and the introduction of unknown heirloom varieties.

Container 12 is in a smaller container and I think it’s a Celebrity or Early Girl.  Its prognosis is grim.  Container 7 (not seen) is doing OK.  Container 1 (not seen) is like Container 12 but in better condition.  Both containers 1 and 12 used smaller pots as experiments.