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Re: Problems with garden

Hi Lauren!

Geez, that does sound discouraging....just from what you described it 
sounds like you might have a fungal problem (seems like cukes and 
tomatoes are particularly susceptible to black spot and powdery/downy 
mildews). If you give a little more info about how they died or stopped 
producing I and others could be more specific. But, in the meantime.....

1) when you are choosing seeds or picking out plants in the nursery, look 
for varieties that are disease resistant. Tomatoes will have a list of 
letters after the variety name, like "Super Sweet 100, VFB" that means 
that it's resistant to verticulum wilt, black spot and something that 
begins with F that I can't remember.

2) when you rotate plants in your garden, you have to plan it 
carefully--tomatoes and eggplants are in the same family (nightshade), so 
if you had problems with your tomatoes last year and plant eggplants in 
the same spot this year, the over-wintering fungus will get your eggplant 
too. Other familes are the brassicas (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel 
sprouts), beans and peas, winter and summer squashes. I can't remember 
where peppers fall. Nightshades too? (anybody?) Some plants are also 
heavy feeders (corn and tomatoes). Get a good book, it will save you lots 
of grief. I highly recommend Rodale's Organic Gardening Encyclopedia.

3) don't compost diseased plants. Especially since you don't get a good 
freeze, that stuff will just infect your compost pile. The best thing to 
do is to bag it up and throw it away, then wash your hands and tools. 
Also, try not to move around your garden in the rain or when it's 
damp--it's very easy to spread disease that way.

I think it's a good idea to let garden space lie fallow for a year (or 
more). But whoever recommended cutting the grass is right--seed heads 
wreak havoc! (dont put them in your compost either!). You can pull up or 
rototill that grass right in to your garden.

Don't forget that every gardening season has its triumphs and 
disappointments, and I generally learn more from what went wrong then 
what went right. (for example, I will not plant fall radishes in the 
spring next year, I will not plant a second crop of beets, etc. and so 
on.) Keep at it and let us know if we can help!

Melissa in New England where the cold weather sucks but at least it kill 
off fungal diseases and so is good for something.
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