Plant Pathology Infobytes

April 16, 1996
Here's How To "Foil" Southern Blight In The Garden

Southern blight, a fungus disease which attacks tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants, could be a real problem for home gardeners later this season. Southern blight tends to strike in early summer after temperatures warm-up and is more prevalent in garden soils where there is an abundance of soil organic matter.

However, this killer can stopped with a simple technique which is almost 100% effective. This technique involves wrapping a small piece of aluminum foil around the stem of transplants just before they're planted.

Here's how to carry out this simple procedure. Tear off a four inch square of aluminum foil. Wrap the foil snugly around the stem of the transplants from the top of the roots to an area below the first leaves. Take care not to cover any of the root system with the foil, and avoid wrapping the foil too tightly. The transplant is then placed in the ground so that two inches of the aluminum foil are above the ground line and two inches are below it.

The foil not only protects your tomato, pepper, and eggplants from Southern blight but is also a physical barrier which prevents cut worm damage. To maintain season-long plant protection from Southern blight, make sure that soil is not thrown over the foil onto the unprotected stem.

For more "smart gardening" tips, please check with us at the County Extension Office.

 


Written by the late Dr. Frank Killebrew

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