A few tips for taking a bite out of blight
This week I would like to do something a little different and share an email I received from one of my readers. Emails such as this one are the reason I write about gardening. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did, as it really is about the essence of gardening.
Q Last week you offered help with our specific gardening problems in the St. Albert Parish Heritage Garden. It took me a while to round up the other organizers (with better memories and knowledge than mine) but here goes.
Colorado potato beetles caused our trouble two years ago. Through the efforts of Orest, one of our senior gardeners who visited the garden at the crack of dawn every morning for several weeks, our potatoes were saved. He took care of the beetles in all life stages, and not just on his own plot, but on every plot with potatoes. We have 63 plots ranging from four-by-eight-foot raised beds to 10-by-20-foot in-ground plots.
Several other gardeners (with Orest’s training) spent considerable time clearing the insects as well. I wish I had saved the emails he sent almost every day, kind of like a report card. He would list how many leaves were covered in egg sacs (if I’m remembering the right term), how many small beetles, how many large ones, and how many larvae he killed each day for as long as the infestation went on.
During that summer we heard that another community garden in St. Albert lost all of their potatoes. Obviously vigilance and hard work paid off for us. The following year we didn’t allow any potatoes to be planted, on the advice of people at Hole’s Greenhouses. This year we want to do everything we can to prevent such an occurrence.
Tomato blight was another problem we had for a couple of years. In those cases we removed all the plants in each of the plots, which was very difficult for the gardeners. We knew we weren’t alone though, as we kept reading in the paper that great swaths of the province had the same problem.
Since our garden is in a big area open on the north and east, we have access to sunlight and good drainage. We’re also open to wildlife. We have voles and rabbits for sure, and deer have been seen in early mornings at the edge of the garden. Knowing this, our gardeners have accepted that we are latecomers to the field, so sharing a little with the animals is expected.
OK, I’ve gone on long enough about our garden. I just have to add that your recent columns about container gardens make me almost wish we were ready for apartment/balcony living. You do not make it sound like a lesser form of gardening, but something really enticing and wonderful.
A We talked about the potato beetles in a previous column, but the tomato blight is an area we should talk about. Early blight in tomatoes is caused by a fungus that produces canker-like spots on the leaves. This fungus can cause extensive defoliation and a lack of production. You can help prevent this problem by avoiding watering from above. Use a long-handled watering wand and apply the water near the soil surface under the leaves, without watering directly on the leaves.
Fusarium or vertilicillium wilt is also fungal in origin. It can cause yellowing and wilting on one side of the plant. Yellowing begins with the older bottom leaves. The disease progresses by wilting, browning and defoliating leaves, stunting growth and resulting in little or no fruit production. Look for VF-resistant varieties, sterilize and clean the surroundings, and do not plant in the area for four seasons. In addition, avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can cause or compound the symptoms.
Late blight is also fungal. Some gardeners cover their tomatoes or grow them under eaves to avoid this problem. Another way to prevent issues is to grow the earliest varieties you can find. The principle here is to be harvesting your tomatoes well before the late blight becomes a problem. For early and late blight you might try a bio-fungicide called Serenade. There have been some reports of success using this eco-friendly product.