Dwarf Project Plants!

I grew Dwarf Mr. Snow, Dwarf Beryl Beauty, and Dwarf Emerald Giant this year as well as New Big Dwarf which was not part of the Cross Hemisphere Dwarf Project. All of my tomato plants were hit early in the season by Septoria Leaf Spot which is normal in my garden. The Septoria usually kills the lower branches and leaves on my plants and it did the same thing on the Dwarf plants, but it rarely harms production or kills a plant. As the weather warmed and the summer long drought began, I started noticing some appearance of Gray Mold on a few plants but on all of the dwarf plants. As the heat and low humidity intensified, the Gray Mold pretty much devastated the dwarf plants. I didn't attempt to treat the plants because I wanted to determine the plants ability to recover from the disease as they do with Septoria. While some of my other varieties exhibited Gray Mold infection, they continued to grow and produce fruit. The growth and production of the dwarf plants was totally stopped by the infection. The New Big Dwarf and Mr. Snow eventually died. The Emerald Giant and Beryl Beauty kept producing new growth through the summer which eventually became infected and dried up. With the beginning of cooler, moist, fall weather the Gray Mold has subsided and new growth is emerging which seems to be disease free. They are even producing healthy blooms. I have now treated the plants with fungal retardant products to see if the plants will produce in the fall.

I don't believe the dwarf plants are more genetically susceptible to disease than other varieties, but I am wondering if the rugose foliage with all it's crevices and irregular surfaces contributes to the retention of disease spores making them more difficult to treat.

Ted