I like being as organic as possible, but........

[boggybranch]

....I have been hit harder by blight AND wilt. Blight, being airborne, is hard to combat.....but wilt is a different devil. It being soil borne...it can get it's horns knocked off.

I will be treating my raised beds, after everything comes out with a bleach solution. I can hear the screams...."What about the earthworms?". My answer is....what good is earthworms when you have wilt? Drastic situations call for drastic measures. I figure that I'll treat the soil, wait a bit, mix in the compost and cover with mulch for the winter. If I lose all my melons, squash and cukes to wilt, next year......it won't be because I didn't try something, even if it was drastic by organic standards.

Nope.....not gonna take this wilt thang, laying down.

 

[lesa]

Boggy, I feel your pain and I understand wanting to do something, anything to fight this off... That being said, I did a few minutes of googling and didn't find anything about bleach. What I did find, seems it would apply very well to your location and situation... The University of Missouri Extension, recommends solarization. You stretch a thin, clear piece of plastic over the soil (in contact with the soil). Soil temps need to be over 100 degrees for 4-6 weeks. This process will reduce soil-borne pathogens.
This is not going to work great for folks in my neck of the woods-but it sure will work in sunny Florida. And I know you love to take the dirt's temperature! Good luck!!!

 

[vfem]

You are just getting beat down this year! (((((((hugs)))))))

I do not have wilt, but I do have downy mildew I've been battling like crazy.... just pulling leaves.... spray with neem oil solution... pull leaves.... spray.... pull....

Now I thought my tomatoes had blight, but indeed they have powdery mildew caught from the squash. I went through this last year starting with my cukes.

I've thought about how to 'purify' the soil this fall.... I don't know how I feel about bleach? What other options are there though?

 

[vfem]

Boggy, I feel your pain and I understand wanting to do something, anything to fight this off... That being said, I did a few minutes of googling and didn't find anything about bleach. What I did find, seems it would apply very well to your location and situation... The University of Missouri Extension, recommends solarization. You stretch a thin, clear piece of plastic over the soil (in contact with the soil). Soil temps need to be over 100 degrees for 4-6 weeks. This process will reduce soil-borne pathogens.
This is not going to work great for folks in my neck of the woods-but it sure will work in sunny Florida. And I know you love to take the dirt's temperature! Good luck!!!

Oooh, I like that idea! I bet its not suggested while plants are in it though?

 

[lesa]

No, vfem- the garden has to be empty. It sounds like boggy is going to have a lot of open soil... unfortunately. If you do nothing- the experts say wait 3 years for planting...

 

[boggybranch]

When this thought/possibility came to me as a "solution", I contacted a gardening friend in N.C. who has a college degree in agriculture and has been gardening for many years. I asked him about doing this and he said that he had just, that morning, treated one of his beds with a bleach solution for his wilt prob.
I had figured if the bleach solution was good at killing pathogens on tools and in seed trays, it aught to be good to do the same in the soil. He said to use 1/4 cup of bleach to a gallon of water.

 

[vfem]

I found this page and I like his ideas and how to's. I think in August I will start this on a few beds I will free up early due to this whole mess. Hope this will work for you boggy.

http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/solarization.htm

 

[boggybranch]

I had considered solarization, but, it seemed to have too many "loopholes" for doing a good job on the pathogens. When faced with, "hope to kill some of the pathogens" and "kill the 'hound' out of all pathogens"....I vote for the latter.

 

[elf]

Since my move, I'm still so disorganized it's hard for me to find anything, but I remember buying Jerry Baker gardening booklets long ago.. I'm thinking he sprayed with baking soda, maybe milk, or maybe tea. Seems like baking soda solution for this type thing. He has a lot of recipes, not necessarily organic, but pretty benign, using things from the groc. store like shampoo, beer, vodka. Some ended up being a little expensive, so I'd sort of forgotten him. Someone here will know more about him.

 

[Southern Gardener]

I must have missed a post! I had no idea you were battling blight and wilt! So sorry boggy. Is this bacterial wilt from the striped cucumber beetle? I've been looking up wilt and it doesn't say anything about the soil being infected. I'm confused.