Preparing our buckets to prevent late blight next year

Elliot · November 25, 2009

This year we were hit with the tomato blight that hit many gardens on the East Coast. Virtually the only tomatoes we got were cherry or grape tomatoes.

Right now I took out all of my plants and disposed of them. Since we have twenty large home depot vats filled with miracle grow (expensive) soils, I would rather not have to empty every bucket. Is there something I can apply to the soil now which might kill any fungi over the winter?

Elliot
Long Island, New York

Alberta · November 25, 2009

Elliot
It is my understanding that blight can not live in the soil. It is strictly airborne. If I'm wrong someone please correct me, but after dealing with it this past spring/summer that is the information I've learned from all the reading I did.
Alberta

mjc · November 25, 2009

Unless you have some potatoes in there too, there is not much chance that the spores will overwinter. They need some sort of plant matter to live on...potatoes will provide that, if left in the ground (or not deeply buried...like a couple of feet down).

bcday · November 25, 2009

You don't have to do anything to the soil in the buckets. Late Blight doesn't live in the soil or on the plant roots. It can't come back from the soil next year. If there are any leftover potato tubers around, all you need to do is make sure they will freeze solid over the winter. Otherwise, you got rid of the Late Blight when you disposed of the tomato plants.

This Late Blight Q&A will help answer your questions:
http://northeastipm.org/newsandrepor...ateBlight.html

November 25, 2009	#1
Elliot Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Hicksville, New York Posts: 503	Preparing our buckets to prevent late blight next year This year we were hit with the tomato blight that hit many gardens on the East Coast. Virtually the only tomatoes we got were cherry or grape tomatoes. Right now I took out all of my plants and disposed of them. Since we have twenty large home depot vats filled with miracle grow (expensive) soils, I would rather not have to empty every bucket. Is there something I can apply to the soil now which might kill any fungi over the winter? Elliot Long Island, New York

November 25, 2009	#2
Alberta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mastic, NY Posts: 212	Elliot It is my understanding that blight can not live in the soil. It is strictly airborne. If I'm wrong someone please correct me, but after dealing with it this past spring/summer that is the information I've learned from all the reading I did. Alberta

November 25, 2009	#3
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Unless you have some potatoes in there too, there is not much chance that the spores will overwinter. They need some sort of plant matter to live on...potatoes will provide that, if left in the ground (or not deeply buried...like a couple of feet down).

November 25, 2009	#4
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	You don't have to do anything to the soil in the buckets. Late Blight doesn't live in the soil or on the plant roots. It can't come back from the soil next year. If there are any leftover potato tubers around, all you need to do is make sure they will freeze solid over the winter. Otherwise, you got rid of the Late Blight when you disposed of the tomato plants. This Late Blight Q&A will help answer your questions: http://northeastipm.org/newsandrepor...ateBlight.html