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liz63_gw

Late blight

liz63
12 years ago

Officially found all over the north and south fork of long island. I'm pretty sure we have it. We've been bagging and cutting and spraying with Chlor. How fast does lb take down your plants? It appears that some are doing much better than others and resisting total infestation. My dad kept the sprinklers on them daily and I think that added to thehu problem. We are also infested with aphids. Its horrible. All that work for nothing and it's only mid July. I want to cry.

Comments (5)

  • carolyn137
    12 years ago

    Yes, as of July 6th P infestans has been Ided in the areas you indicate.

    From the link I gave below I think you can go to the GEneral Late BLight page which will answer all of your questions about degree of infection, what to do, etc.

    Homeowners have only Daconil, aka chlorothalonil, which is the best possible preventive.

    That blog also covera states adjoining NYS and Cornell has taken the lead on info about Late Blight.

    If you haven't had LB before be sure to look at the pictures b'c it's easily confused with Gray Mold.

    I'm a few hundred miles to your north but have never had problems with aphids so will let someone else address that question.

    I just rememebered that there's a Cornell Coop Ext Office on LI so if you aren't sure of what you have call them and then take in some bagged affected foliage for an ID.

    ALso, the two products to be used for LB noted in the blog on LI are for commercial growers only who have pesticide licenses.

    Carolyn

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell Late Blight update

  • liz63
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Carolyn for your info. I'll look inti gray mold as well. I know my dad will not be driving to the disease identification center. We have a small earth box garden made of 8 boxes. And a big hello from me. You were a great deal of help 2 summers ago when I was growing my balcony garden in. NYC. I'll post an update next week upon my return when I see what's left

  • liz63
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    yep it took me 2 years to tell my dad to get that sprinkler head off and finally it's off but it is probably too late for this season. We've already had so rotted fruit but as I said there are a few plants that seem to be fighting the disease. I have sprayed. I also sprayed for aphids. I hate to do it because I try my best to go organic. Next year I am going to dump the boxes, bleach them, then promix and start from scratch. It is a shame though because of all that work. I was up at 6-7 every day to work on the plants and it was all fro nothing. I just want to throw in the towel now and just buy from the farms.

    Apparently it all started from one leaf in Bridgehampton on a farm and the rest of it is history. Can you believe it? I mean 2 years ago at least it rained every day. This year was pretty good and last year was quite good. Oh well. We'll go on and look forward to next year. I'm back in the city and won't be out till Thursday. I'm hoping some plants are still alive and that the Daconil worked. I had nightmares of aphids all over my body but we won't go there.

  • carolyn137
    12 years ago

    agrant, I read thru your link and there's quite a bit of info given that I really don't agree with. Sigh.

    One that's really important is where they say that Blossom End Rot is caused by a fungus/

    Not true at all. And I could go on an on here about BER but if I remember correctly there's A FAQ at the top of thos page which speaks to that briefly.

    What can happen is when the lack of Ca++ at the blossom end destroys the tissue, which doesn't always happen for sometimes it stays leathery, but if destroyed then common airborne fungi and bacteria, usually the former, can colonize the damaged fruit and most often it's fungi that have black spores, and that's what's shown in the picture.

    But those fungi don't cause Blossom End Rot.

    The only other comment I'd like to make is that the link says that Early Blight and Septoria affect the lower branches first. That only happens when spores are shed from an infected plant the previous year and then the next year rain or irrigation can spray those spores back to the plant on the lower leaves. It's called splashback infection.

    Early Blight( A. solani) and Septoria are airborne and also embedded in rain drops so all new infections appear wherever those spores land on the plant on the upper leaf surface and that's not confined to lower leaves.

    Hope that helps.

    Carolyn

  • liz63
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I looked at the site but didn't read through it. I know septoria and I agree - It has been all over and not from the bottom up. I know we've had that before in my dad's garden and that I think was particularly from him not turning that stupid sprinkler off.

    We definitely don't have BER. I know what that looks like.

    Anyway, I'll be out by Thursday afternoon and will have an update. Hopefully I'll have at least one plant left. If not I'll look forward to next season. I'm not going to replant this season because I won't be out after Labor Day to do all the upkeep.

    Still can't believe it this early in the season. Having luck for the last 2 years and now POW. Oh well.

    Good luck to the rest of you and may you have a plentiful and healthy harvest.