I don't see it in my garden (yet) but the local organic farm that delivers to my neighborhood has late blight. Grrrr. I won't be able to report on my preventive efforts since I got too sick to spray with Serenade, and now that I'm well (a) it's raining again (!) and (b) I'm leaving this morning for a week in Brigadoon.

Good luck to all you tomato fanatics out there! I'm hoping against hope that there will be yummy fruit when I return to reality.

First, some detail for the gardeners, in case you want to go right out and deal with this: Late blight is the fungus that caused the Irish potato famine. Here's a slide show that shows what to look for on tomatoes. The fucking rain (at least on the East Coast) has created moist and cool conditions that are ideal for its spread. The fungus spreads through the air, goes after both tomatoes, potatoes (and peppers and eggplants), and can take down a garden in 3-5 days. Whether or not it originated in the big box stores, they are a likely source of infection now. Finally, copper fungicides work (that's been my experience with mildew on winter squash, though I combine that with milk spray) though wear a moon suit when you use the stuff. The Oregon Extension Service recommends cleaning your tools with bleach. Penn State master gardeners say don't rip out plants, because that spreads the spores, and recommend alternative procedures. If anybody has better information, please share it!

* * *

Yikes. "Spores in the air." Sounds like a horror film! And just like a hospital with superbugs can infect all its patients, an infected Big Box store could blight an entire bio-region, and destroy your garden, even if you didn't personally buy an infected plant. Isn't it great how, even if you're working to become self-sustaining and grow at least some of your own food, the corporations can still fuck you up? Reuters: