Beat the Heat!

For those of you working in the garden or field this week, you're probably already aware that our area is under an excessive heat warning until at least mid-week, with temperatures in the high 90's and heat index values reaching into the 100's.  Please don't take this lightly.  Heat can kill!  If you're spending time outdoors, be sure you know the signs of heat related illness and take the proper measures to avoid it all together.  The National Weather Service has a great article on the subject so check it out and learn how to be prepared here: NWS Heat: A Major Killer.

Late Blight Rears Its Ugly Head Again

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but late blight, the disease caused by the fungal-like pathogen Phytopthera infestans, has been confirmed on a farm in Mercer County, NJ.  This is the first confirmed case of the disease in NJ for 2013.  This devastating disease of tomatoes, potatoes and other solanaceaous plants is notorious for it's ability to quickly wipe out entire crops, from a few plants in a home garden to entire commercially cultivated fields, putting farmers at serious financial risk.  Remember the Irish Potato Famine back in the mid 19th century?  Yup, that was late blight.  So if you're growing tomatoes in any capacity this year, I can't encourage you enough familiarize yourself with the symptoms of this disease, to check your plants at least twice a week (more frequently when the weather is as wet as it has been lately), and destroy diseased plants immediately.  If you're growing tomatoes and visit any other gardens or farms also growing tomatoes, especially any "you pick" fields, be sure to clean your hands, clothing, gloves, shoes and any tools used with hot, soapy water between locations to help prevent the spread as well.  For more information from Cornell University on late blight, including how to identify infected plants, go to http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/blight/.  Not sure if you have late blight or not?  Reach out to your county's Rutgers Master Gardener Helpline.  For Burlington County, contact the RMG Helpline at (609) 265-5050 or mgburlingtoncounty@gmail.com.  For other counties in NJ, check here: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/mastergardeners/helplines.asp.  For other states, check with your state land grant university cooperative extension program.

Late blight on mature green tomato fruit.
Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, (NJAES,)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Late blight on mature green tomato fruit.
Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, (NJAES,)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.