Choosing Varieties for Blight Tolerance/Resistance

There are two varieties that are often advertised as being blight tolerant - these are Ferline and Legend.

Anyone who has grown tomatoes outdoors will know that wet weather for long periods will cause blight ... a serious fungal disease that attacks plants and fruit, making them useless.

The varieties Ferline and Legend are said to have some blight tolerance/resistance so I guess they are worth considering if you expect to have prolonged periods of wet weather during the growing season in your part of the world. Here in the UK it is almost guaranteed!

A couple of seasons ago I gave these varieties a try but was disappointed with the result. The tolerance level was no more than many of my other plants.

However, the season was so wet that no variety would have been able to withstand blight, owing to the rain and constantly wet leaves.

The symptoms of blight are brown patches on the leaves, plants and fruit that result in making the whole tomato plant useless.

The best way to protect against blight is to keep the leaves dry and sheltered from the rain.