I picked up this news on Garden Rant and thought I'd pass it along here. Garden Rant picked it up from Cornell Horticulture at Cornell University.
The full text can be read here, but it says, in part:
"Home gardeners need to be on the lookout for Late Blight – a very destructive and very infectious disease that’s killing tomato and potato plants in gardens and on commercial farms in the eastern U.S. "
"Late blight is the same disease that caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. It has never occurred this early and this widespread in the U.S."
"Late blight is very destructive. Uncontrolled it will kill plants faster than any other disease. And it affects tomato fruit — especially green ones. Considering how early it is in the growing season, how long it will be until tomatoes peak and potatoes are at a size worth harvesting, and how much spraying you may need to do in an attempt to prevent loss to late blight, seriously consider growing more of the other vegetables instead of tomatoes and potatoes this year. Even with fungicide applied every week, there is no guarantee of success, especially if the rainy weather continues."
A definite must read.
4 comments:
Aarrgh, what next? Keeping an eye on my tomatoes though. Thanks.
Fabulous. I'm guessing my garden policy of benign neglect is not going to be a help on this one.
I'll be sure to tell Pudge, our resident ground hog, as he seems to be the one to enjoy most of our tomatoes. Good info. Thanks for posting.
Damn, I knew all this rain was a bad sign, other than the obvious waterlogged soil. Hopefully the spuds can stay disease free for another week or so till harvest.
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