Another blight thread --- scream! scream! scream! - Page 2

[savithny]

Originally Posted by workjw

So true. Everyone in our county is losing their tomatoes. We've lost 300 plants this year. We don't even know anyone local that we can send our regular customers to. We haven't had this much rain in the spring/summer since.... well I honestly can't remember when. It's been a horrible year here in west Tn, and not just for tomatoes. We've produced about 1/3 of the veggies this year than we did last year.

We live in a very rural/farming area, and it has really affected our local economy. Most of us sell to local restaurants and grocery stores, so they are having to go elsewhere to get their produce, which makes it more costly for everyone.

Rain, rain go away...... I never thought I'd be cursing rain in August!

Yeah, us too. DH is only now out in the cornfield doing his crosses, when usually he's done pollinating by now. The way this year is going, we're going to have a frost in September, too, which would completely destroy this entire year for research results (he's working in corn and tomato breeding).

Our CSA, in addition to tomatoes/peppers, really specializes heavily in cruciferious veggies. That's the one upside -- they really seem to be liking this weather! His kale, chard, broccoli, cabbage, bok choi, and nappa have been absolutely beautiful. But I know losing his tomatoes must have been a giant kick in the stomach. He never grows potatoes, so at least that's not going to hit him.

And with the CSA thing -- we members have shared the risk with him, so he at least has been "paid" in some way for at least the amount of his crop he dedicates to share distribution.

[rainbowmoon]

Thanks. Interesting stuff.

Also, we have only thus far gotten 3 small cherry tomatoes from the CSA. They usually do upick for their toms but since they are using copper and they need to be washed, that is now not happening. I am not sure what they plan to do as it is so labor intensive for them.

My own toms (at least 30 plants) have been suffering from mold here and there from the rain. No blight yet. (or at least I don't think it's blight). We have lots of fruit on the vines and keeping our fingers crossed we get something out of it! (we picked the first ripe Beefsteak Friday!)

Originally Posted by savithny

It's not gonna hurt you in the amounts that remain on your produce (though wash them well!). As people point out, copper is an essential micronutrient.

But it isn't inherently safer across the board than every conventional option. It is just as hazardous for agricultural workers to handle, it is just as toxic to fish if it is released in too-concentrated amounts, and it is more persistent in the environment than many of the conventional antifungals - it builds up over time to the point that it will kill soil microbes and earthworms, if it used yearly in the same locations. With good crop rotation practices, where you won't be growing any solanaceae in that field for another 3-5 years, its less of an issue -- but if you're known for your tomatoes and grow a lot, that may mean that the increased spraying for the next few years as blight (hopefully) gets frozen out and driven back will mean heavier use of sprays.

Even for organic farming there are cost/benefit analyses being made. Since there are limits (either imposed by organic farming rules or by the farmer's own sense of what is right) to how much of it you can use, they're having to balance saving a crop by using a *lot* of the stuff (relatively speaking) so that their members will have some tomatoes, vs. not spraying, or spraying less often, to load their soils less heavily. The thing about *all* the antifungals this year is that they're pretty much only working preventatively, so once you start spraying, you're invested in continuing to do so until you've gotten a harvest for your time and effort.

[janey99]

Savithny -

You seem to know so much, I hope you don't mind me asking, what does this terrible blight this year mean for the soil and next year? Will the fact that we have a freezing winter (north central NJ) kill the spores that might be left in the soil? Should we treat the soil with antifungals or copper (if so, when)?

Since this year is a write off, I'm starting to think about next year already. I hope my next year's tomatoes aren't at risk just because I had blight this year.

Could you share any wisdom? Thanks!

Jane

[savithny]

Originally Posted by janey99

Savithny -

You seem to know so much, I hope you don't mind me asking, what does this terrible blight this year mean for the soil and next year? Will the fact that we have a freezing winter (north central NJ) kill the spores that might be left in the soil? Should we treat the soil with antifungals or copper (if so, when)?

Since this year is a write off, I'm starting to think about next year already. I hope my next year's tomatoes aren't at risk just because I had blight this year.

Could you share any wisdom? Thanks!

Jane

I only know what I've heard the tomato breeders talking about

If I were you, I'd contact my local county extension agent for advice specific to your zone and area.

I know that they are advising that you pull up and destroy all blighted tomatoes. Don't compost them, don't till them in. Get all the roots, fruit, leaves, etc. Farmers are advised to burn fields.

Blight is killed by freezing, but can survive in a "mulched" environment -- like compost, or like plant wastes piled up in a field.

I don't know about soil treatments at all, since our choice was not to do any spraying or treating at all (risking blight, knowing that we might have access to leftover tomatoes from DH's field that were sprayed). They recommend not planting potatoes or tomatoes in the same spot, but that's pretty useless to us, since we have a long narrow garden and there were tomatoes spaced across it. That's something your extension office would have more info on.

[janey99]

Originally Posted by savithny

I only know what I've heard the tomato breeders talking about

If I were you, I'd contact my local county extension agent for advice specific to your zone and area.

I know that they are advising that you pull up and destroy all blighted tomatoes. Don't compost them, don't till them in. Get all the roots, fruit, leaves, etc. Farmers are advised to burn fields.

Blight is killed by freezing, but can survive in a "mulched" environment -- like compost, or like plant wastes piled up in a field.

I don't know about soil treatments at all, since our choice was not to do any spraying or treating at all (risking blight, knowing that we might have access to leftover tomatoes from DH's field that were sprayed). They recommend not planting potatoes or tomatoes in the same spot, but that's pretty useless to us, since we have a long narrow garden and there were tomatoes spaced across it. That's something your extension office would have more info on.

Thanks for your suggestions, Savithny. DH is a graduate of Cook College (of Rutgers), so he has a lot of contacts in the extension and at the school - I will look into contacting them.

I've already bagged up all the plants, tomatoes, dead leaves I could gather, etc. At least that's a start. It made me feel a tiny bit better to have those raised beds clean and empty, rather than filled dead dry leaves and rotting fruit.

Jane