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  • From: "Liz Pike" <pike AT always-online.com>
  • To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Compost Tea was Re: Early blight on tomatos
  • Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 18:42:34 -0400


I only recommend using the copper as a last resort. I just make sure I
plant double what I need. Here, in our humidity, and with the recent trend
to wet springs--blight is a sure occurrence in my garden.

Compost tea is an excellent remedy. Research done in this area shows great
strides in combating blights and other diseases with it. I differ with
Robert in how long to let it steep however--a discussion we've had on this
list and others with people who've been involved in the research. To
maintain the aerobic activity of the tea it musn't steep long (2-3 days at
most), and you should use it within a few hours. Growing Solutions, a
company that manufactures equipment for making compost tea (expensive!) has
just published a manual written by Dr. Elaine Ingham (soil food web) with
lots of information on making the teas (different ingredients & manures
affect different diseases), why they work, etc. Here's the link to order
the $15 book.

http://www.growingsolutions.com/compostmanual.html

PS Art, have time to chip in here??

Liz Pike
Morningstar Gardens
Pollocksville NC
ICQ 46954468

There's 3 kinds of people: Those who can count & those who can't.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Farr - The Chile Man" <rbfarr AT erols.com>
To: "market farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2000 4:39 PM
Subject: Re: Early blight on tomatos


> Cheri:
>
> >From my web site (www.chileman.com - nearly done!):
>
> Early Blight
>
> Cause: The fungus tends to infect peppers mostly during wet springs,
> and is the most troublesome of foliar diseases. The fungus is
> overwintered on crop debris and infected seed. Secondary spread of the
> fungus is chiefly by wind-blown spores and, to a lesser extent, by
> chewing insects.
>
> Symptoms: Symptoms first appear on lower, older leaves as circular,
> dark-brown to black spots that often form concentric rings, giving a
> "target" effect. However, the progress of the fungus is stopped by the
> veins of the leaf. As the disease progresses, leaves turn yellow,
> wither, and drop off. In severe cases, most of the foliage is lost by
> mid-season. Diseased plants tend to be leafless over the bottom
> one-half. Although the disease is more of a problem on leaves, it can
> occur as a collar rot, stem canker, or fruit spot. Collar rot is
> characterized by a large brown, slightly sunken irregular lesion on the
> stem of seedlings and transplants, at or slightly above the ground
> level. Fruit infection occurs frequently at the stem end or in growth
> cracks or wounds in green or ripe fruit. Fruit spots are usually dark,
> sunken and leathery. Infected fruit may drop prematurely from the
> vines.
>
> Control: Practice proper crop rotation. Growing a crop in the same
> area for several years leads to disease problems - not only for
> peppers, but for just about any crop. Immediately destroy all infected
> crops. We've had some success (in a previous location) spraying fixed
> copper fungicide. But as copper is barely tolerated in an organic
> garden, due to its persistent presence in soil tests, copper should be
> used as a last resort. (Compost tea is another option. See the entry
> for compost tea, below). Proper farm management - including fall debris
> clean-up - is the best course of action.
>
> Compost Tea
>
> Treats foliar diseases such as leaf spots, blights, damping-off, gray
> mold, downy and powdery mildew, and apple scab. Compost tea also works
> as an effective innoculant to restore or enhance soil microflora. Mix
> one part manure-based compost to five parts water. Stir, steep for one
> week at 59 - 68 degrees, and strain (through cheesecloth or another
> similar medium; alternatively, one can start by putting the compost in a
> burlap sack, thereby eliminating or reducing the need to strain). Spray
> as needed. In areas where left spots or blights are common problems,
> watering the foliage with compost tea is reported to have preventative
> effects.
>
> Urtica Dioica (Stinging Nettle)
>
> Treats damping-off and other fungal diseases. Take a 5 gallon pail and
> fill it 2/3 full of nettles. Add water at 100 degrees F and steep for 3
> weeks. Spray seedlings and soil surface. If you don't have fresh
> nettles, try using dried.
>
> --
> Robert Farr
> The Chile Man: ALL Natural Hot Sauce
> (540) 668-7160
> www.chileman.com
> (that's "chile" with an "e")
>
>
>
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