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canal winchester ohio

Even though the plants got beat up by a storm pretty bad I still feel the plants leaves aged prematurely, possibly from using the same patch as past years. I'm going to have my soil tested soon for possible diseases that may be causing it, and that leads to my question. If need be I will sterilize my soil this winter, but are there other alternatives to this drastic measure. Will a good cover crop help ?
Any & all suggestions welcome..............Paul

9/4/2005 7:42:04 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Paul,

Cover crops rarely influence the presence of soil borne disease pathogens in any way though if so, it is usually to support the pathogen rather than suppress it.

The least drastic approach is to lay fallow for several years. But Fusarium can lay fallow for 7 years so this might not be practical.

Solarizing with plastic *might* help with some diseases but I'd like to see the published efficacy data before taking this approach & knowing which disease you're after will be part & parcel to this decision.

Basamid & other sterilants will only work if the disease is still active when the treatment is made. So ripping plants & treating early is critical to this approach.

Less invasive but much more costly would be to remove & steam the soil before replacing.

I would contact a good pathology lab. Have live plant material screened. Speak with the pathologist that will be handling your submission ahead of time. Explain you want the leaves, vines & roots tested & inquire how best to collect, package & ship them.

Whenever possible, make the submission in person so that you can meet the pathologist & get to know them. I prefer dealing with people who welcome this approach & as such they will usually make slides while I'm there & I can look at them as well.

Steve

9/5/2005 1:05:25 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Good post Paul and thanks for the details Steve. I have no alternative in my home patch but try and plant in a different spot each year. Like Paul, I fear the years have caught up to me and I've battled what looks like leaf burn or target leaf spot as the entire plant aged far too early.

If I take in a leaf sample, will the pathologist really be able to diagnose and recommend a treatment or fix?

Thanks/Glenn

9/10/2005 9:42:06 PM