WHITESTOWN — As gardeners start to plan this year’s crop, they may want to consider disease resistant varieties, Cornell Cooperative Extension officials suggest.
Last year tomato and potato crops were devastated by Late Blight. The good news is that the disease can not live in the soil. The bad news is that it can overwinter on infected potatoes that were left in the ground or saved for seed. Think you are safe because you didn’t grow potatoes? Think again, this disease is air borne. One infected plant can infect within several miles. So if the guy around the corner has infected potatoes we may be in for another tomatoless year.
So first, choose plant varieties that are disease resistant. The publication Cornell Recommend Vegetable Varieties for 2010 is available for download at http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneida/
Second, get your soil tested. While we cannot test for diseases in the soil the extension service can tell you what nutrients are lacking. Plants are more susceptible to infection or insect attack when they are stressed.
Third, rotate your crops. While Late Blight doesn’t live in the soil, Early Blight and a plethora of other diseases or insects do. Rotating your crops is a simple way to outsmart these pests.
There are three disease resistant varieties of tomato that Cornell recommends (Mountain Magic, Plum Regal and Legend). Finding seed may be tricky as most of the Northeast was consumed by the disease. (Try Burpee, Johnny’s and Totally Tomato seed companies)
You may have better luck buying plants in the spring. CCE suggests you try these vendors for disease resistant varieties:
Olneys Flower Pot, Rome 339-6000
River Road Greenhouses, Marcy 368-4497
Candellas Greenhouses, Marcy 736-7675 or 736-8782
Heywood Greenhouses, Remsen 831-8096
Benson Farms, Whitesboro 368-5040
Mercantile Greenhouse, Richfield Springs 858-2703
Sirko’s, Greenhouses, Leonardsville 855-7575
Brick House Acres, Litchfield 737-5635
You can download the Tomato Blight factsheet from http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneida/
You can also meet John Mishanec, Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Integrated Pest Management Specialist on June 26 when he speaks at the 14th Annual Herb & Flower Festival.
On the net: http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/oneida/
