preventing late blight?

tjg911 · July 7, 2009

just curious, is anyone using milk or compost tea as a method to protect plants? if you are organic these 2 are a better choice than any chemicals. i have not used these but i am considering it.

from experience about 4 years ago with pole beans, i can say compost tea is amazing. i stupidly watered the pole beans getting the lower leaves wet around 6 pm many evenings and as a result of being wet all night i developed mosaic virus disease. the plants looked so bad i was sure they'd die. i had no idea what to use so i tried compost tea. the results were almost immediate and within a week they problem was checked and the plants went on to be healthy.

now this cured a problem and from what i read if you get late blight you can not save the plant but i am not sure if that is true. assuming that it is, i'm considering milk and/or compost tea. many believe that milk encourages a colony of beneficial organisms to grow on the leaf surface thus fighting any pathogens that may land on it.

got milk?

tom

dice · July 8, 2009

I wonder if milk promotes the growth of lacto-bacillus.

I have not heard of anything outside of commercial products
with any effect on late blight, but you never know when
lacto-bacillus might prevent something else from attacking
the foliage.

(When I used compost tea on foliage, about 30% of the leaves
died, although the plants did not. I think it is a YMMV type
of treatment, depending on what all microorganisms are in
any particular batch of compost. It worked great for me as
a soil drench, however.)

amideutch · July 8, 2009

Here's some commercially available organic products. Ami

http://www.biconet.com/disease.html

More Info.

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xd...ungicides.html

http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-69-W.pdf

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1484689.htm

Elliot · July 9, 2009

Two of my tomato plants were hit by this blight.With one, all of the leaves curled up and the plant looks half dead. I was advised to get it out of the garden fast. I did that today. I felt terrible doing it. I am sprayins some antifungals by bonide on the other plants but am already seeing fungal involvement.

I live on Long Island, New york. We had 24 days of rain in June and July feels cool and damp akin to early May. All of my Lilly plants died of fungus and the tomatoes are affected. Newsday, our local paper, had a story on the second page about this blight that affects tomatoes. its devastating.

earthbox13 · July 11, 2009

A late blight article, maybe the one mentioned by Elliot.

http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh...secondarystory

Scott

July 7, 2009	#1
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	preventing late blight? just curious, is anyone using milk or compost tea as a method to protect plants? if you are organic these 2 are a better choice than any chemicals. i have not used these but i am considering it. from experience about 4 years ago with pole beans, i can say compost tea is amazing. i stupidly watered the pole beans getting the lower leaves wet around 6 pm many evenings and as a result of being wet all night i developed mosaic virus disease. the plants looked so bad i was sure they'd die. i had no idea what to use so i tried compost tea. the results were almost immediate and within a week they problem was checked and the plants went on to be healthy. now this cured a problem and from what i read if you get late blight you can not save the plant but i am not sure if that is true. assuming that it is, i'm considering milk and/or compost tea. many believe that milk encourages a colony of beneficial organisms to grow on the leaf surface thus fighting any pathogens that may land on it. got milk? tom __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

July 8, 2009	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I wonder if milk promotes the growth of lacto-bacillus. I have not heard of anything outside of commercial products with any effect on late blight, but you never know when lacto-bacillus might prevent something else from attacking the foliage. (When I used compost tea on foliage, about 30% of the leaves died, although the plants did not. I think it is a YMMV type of treatment, depending on what all microorganisms are in any particular batch of compost. It worked great for me as a soil drench, however.) __________________ -- alias

July 8, 2009	#3
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Here's some commercially available organic products. Ami http://www.biconet.com/disease.html More Info. http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xd...ungicides.html http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-69-W.pdf http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1484689.htm __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

July 9, 2009	#4
Elliot Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hicksville, New York Posts: 503	Two of my tomato plants were hit by this blight.With one, all of the leaves curled up and the plant looks half dead. I was advised to get it out of the garden fast. I did that today. I felt terrible doing it. I am sprayins some antifungals by bonide on the other plants but am already seeing fungal involvement. I live on Long Island, New york. We had 24 days of rain in June and July feels cool and damp akin to early May. All of my Lilly plants died of fungus and the tomatoes are affected. Newsday, our local paper, had a story on the second page about this blight that affects tomatoes. its devastating.

July 11, 2009	#5
earthbox13 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Colorado Posts: 37	A late blight article, maybe the one mentioned by Elliot. http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh...secondarystory Scott