In article , Hawkeye wrote:
Last year, the two-family garden plot was properly prepared and planted.
About 4-5 weeks into the growing season, plants began to show signs of
some sort of disease (similar to blossom-rot). Foilage would begin
turning from green to yellow then to black and later falling off from
bottom to top of plant. The plant "appeared to die from the ground up.
Squashes went first, then tomatoes, then green peppers. Most beans
seems to survive longer but did eventually succumb. Only potted Hot
Peppers made it through the entire growing season but other tomatoes
potted suffered the same results as their cousins planted directly in
the ground.
I live in Florida (NE) and about 1000 yds from a major creek. Elevation
is about 15-20 feet above.
My suspicion is a fungal infection in the soil. ?? treatable with
copper sulfate???
Thanks in advance,
Robb
Since you say the ground was properly prepared I presume it isn't possible
the garden was chloratic from excessive alkalinity & lack of nitrogen.
Call the nearest university's agricultural extension & ask where you can
get a full soil test done, probably also a test of the roots of something
that died or is dying. Your guess of a fungus is possible, but i never
heard of an entire huge planting area becoming fungus-ridden killing such
a wide variety of vegetables, there's usually some stuff unaffected, & the
fungus doesn't spread out universally that quickly. I've always been lucky
(knock woody shrubs) & not had to learn a whole lot about garden diseases,
let alone entire-garden garden diseases, but from what little I know I
would suspect nematodes that attack roots. I'd also be suspicious of
toxins, perhaps something you introduced via herbicide-contaminated
compost while preparing the whole area, or a spread of farm manure that
had had something like lye added to it. If nothing had been growing there
previously, it may already have been contaminated by toxins. Perhaps lease
likely but not impossible, an entire garden that is simply over-watered
could also fail -- the daily Florida rainfall, plus waterings, plus
seepage from the stream could drown it.
If it is a fungus you'll still need a soil test diagnostic as not all
fungal diseases would be stopped by the same fungicide, & you'd need so
MUCH fungicide for that huge an area you wouldn't want to waste money &
add chemicals to the ground that don't even bother the particular fungus.
And if it were actually nematodes or chemical toxins, you'd just be
putting more toxins into the soil for no positive effect whatsoever.
-paghat the ratgirl
--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl:
http://www.paghat.com/