Topic: Replanting after blight

[redrichwen]

How soon after you've removed blight infected crops, can you use the bed again.

I've taken out all my outdoor tomatoes this weekend, and am wondering if i can re-use the bed to put in some brassica's which are in danger of outgrowing their pots.  ???

Or should i spray the ground with fungicide to kill off any spores which may be lurking?

Thanks in advance for tips!!

[saddad]

No you don't need to spray anything... turn it over and get those Brassicas in, if your soil is light you might not want to turn it over so that they are held firmly in the soil...
 :)

[redrichwen]

Saddad, that's just what i wanted to hear, thanks very much!! :)

A quick rake over i think to remove weedlings, as the soil is light.

Just hope the rain holds off now, as the weathermen promised!

[Robert_Brenchley]

The funus only affects the potato family, so as ling as you're planting something other than potatoes, toms or aubergines, it won't be affected.

[Chantenay]

But how long does the area remain infected?

[Robert_Brenchley]

Only as long as there's living tissue of a susceptible species there for the fungus to live in. The spores don't last long; it survives in potatoes left overwinter.

[Emagggie]

Was wondering about it myself, thanks Robert.
If there is suspected blight on just one plant, does it follow that all  tom plants nearby will succumb, and is there anything I can do to stop it?

Worried of Essex  :-\

[Kepouros]

If you do nothing it is a fair certainty that all the others will get it.  You can reduce the risk and/or delay the spread by removing all infected leaves immediately the signs of infection appear in those leaves, and continue your spraying programme.  When possible spray before defoliating, making sure that the spray covers every part of the plant, including stems and undersides of leaves.  The aim is to try to prevent the disease working back to the stems.  Once the stems show signs of the infection the plant is effectively doomed and should be removed.

[Emagggie]

I confess to not having a spraying programme  :o As a fairly new plottie, I didn't know about such things. Well it's a lesson learned. Do you recommend any particular spray, Kepouros?

[Kepouros]

Organic gardeners use Bordeaux Mixture, or other proprietory copper based fungicides (neither of which are organic anyway).  I`m only organic until my crop is threatened and I use Dithane 945, which is more effective.  The usual spray period is every 10 days.

[Emagggie]

Many thanks, noted!!