Garden Bumps

 

There are always rough spots in the summer garden. Let’s smooth out a few of those bumps. If one of your herbs in your kitchen garden is Basil, let’s be privy to this alert.  Chock it up as one more hiccup in the vegetable garden; it’s well worth the share and a must read.

 

Ball Publishing’s newsletter ‘Inside Grower’ had this to say.

“Basil Downy Mildew on the Rise”

“Umass Amherst Extension issued an alert for basil downy mildew, which was reported in two Massachusetts counties last week. The downy mildew pathogen is likely airborne and disseminating from infected plants to healthy plants. The pathogen is sometimes detected in basil seed, but seed transmission is probably a rare event, according to UMass Extension. Infected leaves develop diffuse yellowing on the top of the leaf but distinctly vein-bound patches on the bottom. When spores are produced, a characteristic gray, fuzzy growth on the underside of the leaves is evident. Control should focus on reducing humidity and leaf wetness period. Few fungicides are labeled for herb plants and there are differences in registrations for field grown plants versus greenhouse plants. Copper products, phosphites, azoxystrobin, and mancozeb are labeled for use on basil. Plant pathologists at UMass are investigating methods to control this disease with biological control agents and are interested in collecting live, infected plants from residential gardens, greenhouses and field grown basil. If you’re in the northeast and think your basil plants are infected, email Dr. Rob Wick. Click HERE to learn more about basil downy mildew.´”

As we decorate our salads and store this herb for later use, it’s wise to check everything growing in the garden to ensure it is healthy and not producing problems. Just a quick note from our end regarding any fungicide use: always read the labels carefully and confirm the days to harvest for anything edible. There was also info on whiteflies causing problems with tomatoes so there’s another pest to know during the 2013 growing season. Take a peek at yesterday’s Facebook link. https://www.facebook.com/abilowz

So it’s time to find a perfect quote to sum up today’s post. Penned by William James, here is today’s top choice. “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” Heck, I just like it plus it wraps up today’s middle of the week tip. Stay connected to your garden; it’s vital to its health. Otherwise, expect lots more garden bumps on your summertime journey. Wouldn’t you rather have a healthy crop? 

Image by Ann Bilowz © 

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