Fungal disease can hit tomatoes. Next year, spray in April . | Home/Garden

This year, my husband and I planted tomato transplants early (Feb. 11) in our three raised garden beds at our home. By mid-April we began picking tomatoes and feel that we had a tremendous harvest. We are still enjoying them.

But in early May, we noticed that the lower leaves in two beds were turning yellow. We cut them off. A few days later, there was more yellowing of leaves, and we cut more. The third bed began to do the same. I researched online and believe that the plants had blight.

My question for you is regarding the soil in those beds. Can we use it again next season with just some more soil added to it? Or is the blight in the soil and we must replace the soil? What would be your recommendation? — Hattie and Henry

Foliar leaf diseases of tomatoes are common, and there are a number of them. Disease problems generally start on the lower, older leaves and move up the plant. If you got a good crop from your tomatoes, then you don’t have to feel too bad about not controlling diseases.

A good crop means that the fungal infections did not move in until you had a great crop set. That is because you planted early. Early planting allows the crop to miss a lot of insect and disease problems that build up over the summer. So, this year you did well. (Our tomato season winds down in June.)

These fungal leaf diseases are spread by airborne spores. There is nothing wrong with the soil in the beds, and you can feel free to plant there again after adding organic matter and fertilizer. Just make sure you dispose of any infected leaves or plants you remove from the garden. Do not add them to your compost pile or turn them into the soil of the bed. Also, try to rotate crops as much as you can, even though this can be difficult in small home gardens.

If you would like to control fungal leaf diseases better in the future, you can use fungicides. Fungicides are more protective than curative and generally should be used before fungal disease symptoms appear on the plants.

Generally, start spraying in early April as the weather warms (or earlier at the first sign of fungal lesions/spots). Chlorothalonil and myclobutanil are fungicides that control a wide variety of fungal diseases. Organic options include copper-based fungicides (Liquid Copper, Copper Shield, Copper Fungicide and other brands) and neem oil.

These must be applied preventively before any symptoms appear or at the very first sign of infection to be truly helpful. Once a tomato plant, or any vegetable, is heavily infected with a foliar disease, fungicides will provide little benefit.

Two of my houseplants were not doing well, so I placed them outside where they would get better indirect sunlight. They are doing better, but now there are yellow-green mushrooms growing all around them in the pot. — Cathy

The mushrooms won’t bother the plants, and there is no need for concern. The fungus producing the mushrooms is consuming and decaying organic matter in the potting mix. This is actually a good thing. As the organic matter decays, it breaks down and eventually releases essential mineral nutrients to be absorbed by the roots.

There is no practical way to rid the potting mix of the fungus. When mushrooms appear, just promptly remove and dispose of them. You can try watering a little less often. Allowing the soil to get somewhat drier between waterings will discourage the growth of mushrooms, but they are no big deal.

Garden tips

PLANT NOW: We do not expect most spring-planted vegetables, like snap beans, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes, to grow and produce through our long warm growing season from March to October. When they are finished producing and you remove them, you could simply rake the area level and apply a four- to six-inch layer of mulch to prevent weeds until you decide to plant again. But you may also decide to rework the beds and plant heat-tolerant summer crops, like okra, Southern peas (purple hull, black-eyed peas, crowders and others), peanuts, hot peppers or yard-long beans, to name a few.

PEANUT USES: Plant a row or two of peanuts in the home garden now as early summer crops are pulled up. Shell raw peanuts and plant about three to four seeds per foot of row. Water daily until the seeds come up. They will be ready to harvest in October. Peanuts also make an excellent green manure crop. Just as the peanut plants come into flower turn them under into the soil. They will decay and enrich the soil with nitrogen and organic matter. Allow the bed to sit for a few weeks while the organic matter decomposes, and you will be ready to plant a fall crop.

STAY PEACHY: Spray peach tree trunks thoroughly with permethrin to prevent the peach tree borer from getting into the trunk and causing damage. Repeat again in mid-July and mid-August.

TOUGH GRASSES: Ornamental grasses are an excellent choice for gardeners trying to introduce more drought-tolerant, pest-resistant plants into their landscapes. There are many types, suitable for virtually any landscape situation. Even though it is hot right now, ornamental grasses are so tough you can plant them through the summer months.