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Questions
& Answers - Diseased Fruit and Vegetables
Cane
Blight
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From:
CDexter C, UK |
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Last year, I experienced skeletonised bottom
section of canes.(They are open plan at the front with an 8ft brick
wall behind them) There has been no effect to the fruit whatsoever.
This year, there has been skeletonising of the leaves to the top
of almost all the canes except for the end corner section which
is almost untouched. The only differences this time is that we have
potatoes growing the full length of the front (8ft).
We have raspberry canes with an old kids swing frame with hanging
baskets and flower pouches with strawberried. There are tomatoes
and various flowers also growing in them.
I see no alternative but to cut the raspberry canes to the ground
instead of waiting till the end of the year. Please acknowledge
and advise in case there is a chance of the tops of the plants fruiting
which are still untouched by it all.
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From Alex M, UK
Hi CD
I think you may have cane blight. If I am correct you should see
a dark area on your canes just above ground level and the remainder
of the cane will be quite brittle.
Cure:- Cut out all diseased canes to below ground level and spray
the new canes with a copper fungicide e.g Bordeaux Mixture to manufacturers
instruction........A
From CD
I have now come to the conclusion it is Viral Cane Blight. I Intend
To Spray the said plants with Bourdeaus Mixture After they Start
to Grow In again As I Cut them to Ground Level Recently. CD
From CD
I sprayed with Bordeaux Mixture last year and cut the remaining
shoots to ground level. Now 1/2 that space of raspberry shoots is
growing as if it never happened!
Can
any other Gardeners
Club
members help CDexter out?
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if you can help |
| Curly
Leaf |
From
Linda, UK |
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Do you have any idea how to rid my peach tree from curly leaf?
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From Clare, Gardeners Club Secretary*
Peach leaf curl is very hard to control and it will be too late
to do much about it this year. However, there are things you can
do to help prevent an outbreak next year.
Pick
off badly affected leaves as soon as they are seen, and before
they develop a bloom of spores. Dispose of them to reduce the
source of infection for next year. Make sure the tree has enough
food and water to promote the growth of healthy new leaves.
Once
peach leaf curl gets a hold it is very difficult to control. I
would recommend keeping the tree covered with plastic from January
to April next year to protect it from the rain. Make sure it is
kept ventilated and that the roots are able to receive water.
Use
copper-based fungicides approved for use on fruit, such as Murphy
Traditional Copper Fungicide or Vitax Bordeaux Mixture. Spray
in late January or early February and again two weeks later. Aim
to get complete coverage of the entire tree, but finish spraying
before the flower buds begin to open. Spray again in the autumn,
just before the leaves begin to fall.
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Club
members help out?
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here if you can help |
Leaf Curl - Tomatoes
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From: George H, UK |
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How does one differentiate between Tomato
Mosaic Virus and magnesium deficiency? The leaves on some of my
tomato plants show yellowing between the veins of the leaves and
they are curling and drooping. I have been feeding them daily with
'Homebase' tomato feed with added magnesium. George
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From Louise S, UK
It depends which leaves are drooping - its quite normal for the
lower leaves
on the plants to turn yellow as the plant matures; all you need
to do is
pull them off. If you are feeding with Tomato fertiliser, with magnesium,
its pretty unlikely this is magnesium deficiency.
If it were mosaic virus the whole plant will look very poorly, growth
will be badly stunted, and fruiting poor ( if any ). If this is
the case, its terminal, so pull the plants up and destroy them.
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Strawberry Mould
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From: Julie D, UK |
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Hi, I wonder if you can help. I am growing
2nd year stawberries and I seem to
have some problems.
1 is that they are rotting, I am not sure if this is due to lack
of sunshine. I have put straw down on them but this is now damp
due to rain would this be the problem?
2 Also at the top of the Strawberry near the stem the fruit seems
to be splitting or looks like something has crawled over it, i did
see a spider on one, but unsure if this was the culprit, I don't
think it is slugs as I put down pellets..? Can you help?
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From Michael Barratt, the Gardeners
Club resident gardener
If the strawberries are rotting, do they have a greyish mould on
them first? If so this is botrytis grey mould brought on by damp
humid weather. Unfortunately this year has created ideal conditions
for all manner of diseases to proliferate. Spraying with benomyl
or similar systemic fungicide will help to protect from attack.
The splitting of the fruit could be brought about by irregular watering
be it by the weather or manually. It might be worth experimenting
by growing some strawberries in a strawberry pot where you would
have greater control over drainage etc. The only spider likely to
attack strawberry is Red spider mite. Tiny red spiders run over
the plants creating a webbing as they go, but also causing mottling
of the leaves. Again a good systemic insecticide will keep these
at bay.
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if you can help |
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