Hi Ralph

Get your fungicide and a wetting agent (dish soap) and spray several times.
You won't hurt the bees.

Derryl


"Ralph D." wrote in message
...
Hello again.

We have lots of Monarda in large beds spread around a large garden. I have
never had trouble with the fungus, or whatever it is, that I have heard
about, until this year.

I am in the area of PA that is seeing rain *every* day since it was snow
every day and what was our most lush garden ever is now starting to turn
brown with this fungus looking stuff. It started on the Monarda, but is
now
starting to spread to the coneflowers, shastas, rudbeckia, comfortplant
and
more... and at an alarming rate.

The nursery has suggested something called Comdaconil (sp?) that I have
never used. I'm not that concerned about using chemicals, if that's what
it
takes to stop this now (at this rate I may only have 2 or 3 days to act),
but I am concerned about it's effect on bees... will it harm them?

I have a large vegetable garden on the other side of the property that is
just now getting around to producing (as it took so long to get soil dry
enough to work) and cannot afford to lose the bees. If it is not harmful
to
the bees... can I use it directly in the veggies, as I'm getting a bad
fungus situation over there, too.

In all my years of gardening, I've never dealt with this kid of persistent
rain. It is not like it is way above our usual amounts... it's just that
it
is every day... the ground stays saturated constantly and I'm using boards
to walk on when I get in there (as little as possible) as this much water
is
already bound to turn our heavy soil to concrete. The result is that
everything in both gardens is getting sick, and I'm almost surely going to
have to resort to chemical help.