What's happening? Aug 5th

Dear Gardeners,



(click on above to enlarge to see fullscreen slideshow).

Notes - From the gardener's meeting today on Sunday Aug. 5th.

Septoria Leaf Spot confirmed from last week's query.

It is caused by humidity around tomato leaves. To stop spread of infection to healthy tomato plants from fruiting bodies/spores, clip off any discoloured leaves, and be sure to throw them into the blackberries to avoid spreading this bacteria. Septoria can be harboured in wooden stakes and nearby weeds.

Jim suggests: To avoid tomato diseases, NEVER water tomato leaves or foliage; Instead, always water low to the soil, soaking the root only on tomatoes. Keep leaves dry. Mornings are best for watering.

As tomatoes are subject to various blights and viruses, keep plants well spaced with lots of air movement between plants.

Septoria Leaf Spot can spread throuh splashing when watering or from infected tools (secateurs used to trim tomatoes.)

So Jim brought bleach to clean cutting tools. Feel free to use.

When removing Septoria affected foliage:
Dip cutting tools in 10% bleach solution before and after use.
Be aware of sterilizing tools that come from the tool collection at DIGS.
We may have to make a practice of dipping cutters and other tools before and after use.
Bleach solution for dipping tools will be marked in tightly closed container in the (wooden) social shed.

Photos - Septoria Leaf Spot confirmed
Our DIGS leaf is (below) on right with standard Septoria Leaf Spot photo on left:



Magnifying glass should show "fruiting bodies" inside black spots (like extruded wormy things coming out of the leaves. eeek!)
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More news:

The raspberries were damaged by nightly raids by raccoons with baby raccoons in tow.
To avoid raccoons, netting may have to be clipped all the way to the bottom next year.

Leeks can be harvested for the next two weeks; they are very good; delicious! Onions and garlic drying in greenhouse for gardeners to take.

Jim says: Feel free to tidy plantings and falling fronds into pathways, as lawn mower folk may accidentally break some eccentrically leaning plant fronds.

Today we transplanted kale seedlings into pots.

Also, brussel sprouts with club root were removed, limed heavily, and replanted with smaller brussel sprout transplants.

Keep eye out for more club root among Brassicas (Cabbage, Brussel, Broccoli etc.) and remove affected plants, and fling them into blackberries (don't put in compost bins.)

Question: Should we wait a year before planting more garlic?We have rust which makes storage of garlic problematic.
Rust may disappear next year, or may come back. It's due to weather, not infection.
Does anyone want us to not use Safer's anti-rust spray? (Fungacide). It's possible we could just use it once.

(Note: Garlic is 1/3rd of the price to grow then to buy in the store: $200 of seed garlic grows $500-$600 of purchased garlic).

UPDATE ON GARLIC RUST:
One of our very helpful DIGS members writes:

Hi
Yesterday I phoned 2 organic garlic farmers from the area/ They were very patient in answering my question about garlic rust. One farmer has been growing garlic for over 15 years, the other for about 7 years. As I cannot attend the Sunday meeting I am sending you the info they gave me. Maybe this could be mentioned.

1. both go with a strict three year rotation
2. use a good organic mulch to cut down on the possibility of rust infection.
3. both have replanted cloves from rust infected plants without having the rust return the following year. They feel the cloves do not carry the rust.
4. both are "almost sure" (the 15 year garlic farmer is 98% sure) that rust is not carried in the soil.
5. both feel the rust is the result of the cool, wet June conditions rather than infection from cloves or soil.

I have posted questions on the above to the COABC, Certified Organic Agriculture B.C., website and will keep you posted of any good answers.

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Lots to see at DIGS! Trundle on down the road....