Rob's Rants

2010 Garden

• The 2010 Garden
• 2010 Garden Update 2
• A Local Source for Vegetable Plants
• Oh No … I Think Late Blight is Here Already
• Strawberries are Coming
• Blight Averted – So Far
• Talkin’ ‘Bout a Heatwave

My tomato seedlings are about 8 inches tall now. For the last 6 days they have moved from my basement to a small cold frame I have outside to harden off, or adjust to the temperature and sunlight swings outdoors. Usually this helps grow healthier plants. But I’m afraid that I may have done more harm than good this year.

I wrote about the devastating effects of Late Blight on the tomato crop in New England last year. (And this was a problem all over the Northeast … check out this post on The Big Blog of Gardening.) I vowed that this year would be different. I started seeds bought from a reputable supplier (Johnny’s Selected Seeds) in fresh potting soil in my basement. I kept them on heated mats and under lights in a dry environment for weeks. Then moved the plants outside to my cold frame.

And this morning, I noticed that some of the leaves on my plants were showing small gray patches. Almost like powdery mildew. More distressing were one or two leaves with brown spots … spots that look to me like Late Blight.

Here’s an example:

I guess it makes perfect sense. Inside the cold frame at night, lots of condensation forms. So many mornings I  have opened the top to find the leaves of the plants soaked. And these are the perfect conditions for Late Blight — cool nights in the 50s, daytime temperatures in the 60s, and wet leaves.

When I first put the plants out last weekend I sprayed them with a combination of Plant Guardian Biofungicide and Shield-all II fungicide (both from Gardens Alive). I pulled out and threw five of the worst looking plants into the trash. And I plucked all the visibly infected leaves off the remaining plants. I just hope I’ve caught it in time.

But something tells me that my tomato crop is doomed this year. I mean, if there are already enough spores floating around to infect my plants, then many gardeners are going to be in trouble this year.

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Related posts:

1. Preventing Late Blight in This Year’s Garden
2. Blight Averted – So Far
3. 2010 Garden Update 2
4. Spring in the Vegetable Garden
5. A Local Source for Vegetable Plants