On Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:28:48 -0700, Billy
wrote:

In article ,
Boron Elgar wrote:

On Thu, 8 Jul 2010 12:11:12 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote:

2. Nursery guy also said that I should not replant edibles in that
area; that I should remove the earth to a depth of (I think he said )
about 6" or more; that it would take "several years" for the area to
recover. (Assuming it is infected).

That sounds pretty drastic to me; esp removing the earth. It's been
suggested by a landscape friend that I PLANT some edibles, even
tomatoes, in that area to see what happens to them. Perhaps wait
until this unseasonable cool and damp gives way to usual summer heat.

What do you think?

TIA


We had the wilt, as did the rest of the NE, pretty bad last year and
lost tomatoes, cukes and potatoes. Re-planting last year, even in
fresh, unused (bagged Miracle-Gro) topsoil, did not help. The weather
was just too miserable.

This year is proving - at least so far - to be bumper for tomatoes and
cukes. We garden in tubs and I did plant in fresh soil and compost.
Flowers, beans, peas and greens went into the pots/tubs that showed
blight last year.

WE will, probably, get some late blight, but that is common for this
part of NJ and will show up later.

Boron

Perhaps the nursery guy doesn't know what he is talking about, but he
wouldn't have said to wait several years, if he understands late blight.


I have never gardened here in northern NJ and NOT gotten late blight.
The hope is that most of the harvest is in before it gets really bad.

Although it is harbored in soil, it is also wind-borne and highly
affected by the weather, so that a perfect storm of weather conditions
can spread it early and rapidly. That is what happened last year and
in a matter of days, whole commercial plantings were wiped out on some
farms.

Many backyard gardeners do not have the capability of serious crop
rotation or allowing parts of the tillage to lie fallow....the space
available and usable just isn't that large., so we have our own
workarounds.

Even with my tub/pot gardening and ability to control the soil and
enhanced sterilization, late wilt is almost unavoidable with many
varieties. It is just a fact of life in this climate, as is the near
impossibility of successfully growing, say, peaches with no/little
chemical intervention. Hot, humid conditions favor fungi. I have
learned to live with it and if I want to grow tomatoes with the
flavors and characteristics I prefer, then I have to accept the wilt,
too. 'Taint fun.

Boron