Grow baby grow! This is a picture of the garden from early December. The marigolds are going crazy and you can see the tomatoes staring to blush. The marigolds were planted to bring in the pollinators and keep out the buggers. Not so good at either one. I've only seen a bee here and there, but things are getting pollinated and the fruit is setting so maybe we just keep missing each other. I actually read that ants are a primary pollinator in Florida. Add that to the list of things I never heard of. The tomatoes have been having a go 'round with some type of fungus. Small brown spots on the leaves, the leaves then turn yellow. The damage starts on the older leaves at the bottom and works its way up the plant. That's why the tomatoes have naked legs in these pics. I think it's either septoria leaf spot or gray leaf spot. I thought it might be early blight but there are no concentric rings in the brown spots. I swear you need a masters in vegetable science to decipher the difference in some of these fungal diseases. Regardless, a fungus is a fungus and they all seem to be treated the same way, so no need to nit pick about it, right?
In an organic garden, copper spray is used to control the fungus. So I go out and spray each plant in all directions, all over. I soon find out that copper spray is a rain magnet. You need rain? Go tediously spray copper on the top and bottom of tomato leaves, and BAM, rain within 24 hours. Guess what the directions say? You got it, spray again after it rains. Ahhhhh! So I gave up on it. I see that the plants are not going to immediately expire, so I figure it's strong enough and no longer needs my help.
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