Another Late Blight question

14 years ago

I pulled 130+ plants from my beds 2 weeks ago b/c of late blight. My dad mentioned on Friday that all of his plants had it, so I went to his house today to clean up. What a mess! He hadn't staked, mulched or pruned, I knew his 5 plants were sprawling but he hasn't been picking either. Took me an hour to bag up 5 plants - each one filled a large contractor bag.

But weeds were growing into the edges, the tomatoes were sprawling into the lawn, and I literally need a shovel to pick up all the rotting fruit left after pulling the plants out (I did try to pick up what I could find in the lawn. It's just not feasible to pick the fruit up by hand (esp. the cherry toms - he had 3 plants of Sweet 100's).

So, what's best to do since I can't totally clean up the area like I (think I) did with mine that were staked and mulched and kept picked? Cornell says to leave debris on the surface so it will die over the winter - but should I try to scrape off the top few inches of soil (actually he planted into pure composted manure)? I also pulled what was left of his dead squash plants (afraid that was downy mildew but there really wasn't that much left to pull), so all that's left is a few corn stalks (and his green beans, but those are in a separate bed from the tomatoes, corn, and squash)? I know he'll want to rototill in the spring, is that OK? And they say to pull all volunteers the next year - not sure why, since LB isn't seed-borne and all the fruit should be decomposed or frozen if we leave it on the surface all winter. I know he's going to fight me on pulling volunteers b/c I gave him 2 SuperSweet 100 plants this year and he claims the 1 volunteer Sweet 100 he had from last year was better-tasting.

Thanks

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Comments (4)

fusion_power
14 years ago
Leave the debris where it can decompose. Seedlings next year will not be affected by it.

No matter what you do, re-infection is possible, especially in your area. Late blight rarely overwinters on tomato debris. It usually is carried over on other members of the solanum group that are perennials or it is brought in from areas where it is able to survive the winter.

DarJones
2ajsmama
Original Author
14 years ago
He wants to rake (I said "you'll need a shovel") all of it into the bucket of his farm tractor and dump it in the woods. Trying to convince him it's better to leave it all exposed than dumping it in a pile in a hole he's trying to fill in out back. I was afraid it might be sheltered there (esp. if he starts dumping brush, leaves, etc. on top).

But what about the volunteer question? I don't get why they say to pull the volunteers. Though I guess it wasn't Cornell that said that (I just checked their site), but I know I read it somewhere.

I know I can't leave the rotting fruit thick on the ground like it is, b/c it may (it *is*!) sporulating and spreading before it rots. But Cornell does say to bag it before burying it.
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carolyn137
14 years ago
Late Blight spores cannot overwinter where the temps go below freezing for an extended period of time and I assume zone 5 CT qualifies as does my zone 5 in upstate NY.

LB only can exist on living tomato tissue so the freezing weather of winter will kill all spores.

It's a bit different with LB and potatoes b'c it can overwinter in what are called potato cull piles and in the past LB has been spread from western NYS eastward via wind and rain. W NYS has many commercial potato farms where cull piles are common, but I don't know of any home gardeners that do that.

Carolyn
2ajsmama
Original Author
14 years ago
So I guess the question is, since they say it's not carried in seed, seed isn't considered "living tissue" so volunteers are OK? Or are they referring to saved (dry) seed, and any seed that survived the winter and sprouted the following year *could* be carrying it, just like culled potatoes?

Basically my dad has a 2" thick, 10x10ft "tomato cull pile" LOL! I'm not worried about the top 2" so much as any seed that might have gotten driven deeper in from my walking on it, and gets sheltered over the winter to sprout the next year. Or anything that gets sheltered in what basically might end up as a cold compost pile if he dumps it in a hole and just piles brush and leaves on top.

Thanks