Herbicide Injury on Tomatoes... A Gardeners Experiment

Jim and Elizabeth Curtis have been kind enough to share these great photographs with me. We had a few concerns that some compost they are using in their vegetable gardens might have contained herbicide residue. The first picture is of two tomato plants, one planted in regular potting soil and one planted in the compost used to amend their garden soil.


After about 2 months of the two plants receiving identical moisture and sunlight, this is how the two plants are looking. The tomato in the grey pot is the one with regular potting soil and the green pot is the one with the compost.


Here is a close up of the deformed tomato stems and leaves, common symptoms of herbicide injury.


If you need more information or help diagnosing a plant problem, be sure to contact your local Extension Office. Click here for a listing of NC County Offices.

Mosquitos Are Here

Rain and warmer weather are closely followed by increases in mosquito activity particularly with Asian tiger mosquito. Most people still think of swamps, ponds, etc. as the source of the mosquitoes that show up in their yards. However, in most residential areas the source is more likely to be all of those small and inconspicuous water sources that are prime mosquito breeding sites. So, before people start planning a chemical assault on their yards as the solution to their mosquito problems, they should start with the simpler and more long-term approach of eliminating "collectibles". We don't mean souvenirs; we're talking about all of those objects that collect and retain rainwater.

- Bird baths - simply flush them out with a garden hose. The birds will also appreciate the fresh water.

- Old cans, tires, etc. - empty them and get rid of them.

- Outdoor flower pots - empty the water from the dishes/trays underneath them. Your plants have plenty of water without the overflow. This also helps reduce fungus gnat problems.

- Remove all of that built-up debris from your gutters. The water and decaying material attract mosquitoes

- Kids' pools - if they're not being used by kids, they're probably being used by the mosquitoes.

- Drainage ditches - they're meant to collect water *temporarily*. Keep them free of debris so that water flows out.

- Decorative fish ponds can be a source of mosquitoes if they contain a lot vegetation which provides hiding places for the mosquito larvae. 'Mosquito Dunks' are an option here.

- Tree holes - When limbs fall off trees, the remaining hole in the trunk can collect water. Flush that out or put a small piece of a mosquito dunk into it.

Many people ask about treating shrubs in their yard. Mosquitoes *may* be resting there during the day but whether it "controls" a mosquito problem is debatable. Similarly, people that use outdoor foggers will definitely kill mosquitoes but depending on the time of day/evening that they use it, they may be missing the peak activity.

One other point to remember - mosquitoes have no concept of property lines. Mosquito management takes a neighborhood effort to be truly effective.

We have information for you here.

From: Mike Waldvogel and Charles Apperson, Extension Entomology

Pesticide Collection Day - Haywood County

North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in cooperation with the Haywood County Cooperative Extension, will be offering a Pesticide Collection Day for residents in Haywood and surrounding counties. The local site manager will be Tim Mathews, Agricultural Extension Agent for Haywood County. Collection will be Wednesday, May 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Extension Center at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Nearly all pesticide products will be accepted. For liquid pesticide containers larger than 5 gal or for unlabeled pesticides, please contact the Cooperative Extension Office for information before bringing to the collection event. No gas cylinders are accepted at the event; however, assistance information can be provided. Contact the Cooperative Extension Office for more information. Don't miss this opportunity in Haywood County. For more information contact Tim Mathews at the Haywood County Extension Center at (828) 456-3575.

Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day

The Henderson County Division of Solid Waste will hold a household hazardous waste disposal Stoney Mountain Activity Center from 9 a.m. to noon April 21.

As Earth Day, April 22, falls on a holiday this year, the Solid Waste Division is celebrating on April 21 by providing for free and safe recycling and disposal of household chemicals and cleaners, pesticides, insecticides and thermostats. Liquid paint will also be disposed of for a fee of $5 per liquid gallon.

The event will be in the rear of the Stoney Mountain Activity Center. Follow the directional signs at the entrance and exit of the activity center. Traffic entering the site will use the exit side of the current driveway, while the entrance will be used for the exit in order to make room for more vehicles.

Late Blight Confirmed on Tomatoes in Henderson County

This week Plant Pathologist Kelly Ivors found and confirmed late blight (by microscopic examination) in one small shaded area of a conventional tomato field in Henderson County. We have not been able to confirm its presence anywhere else in the tomato production areas of NC this summer, so I believe this is the start of the tomato late blight epidemic in WNC. We've had some rains recently and I'm sure it's out there elsewhere now, or soon to arrive.

Without proper preventative measures, late blight can completely defoliate and destroy a crop within one to two weeks. The disease can be severe on tomatoes grown in the mountains of North Carolina, as well as in late plantings in the Piedmont.

The first symptoms of late blight on tomato leaves are irregularly shaped, water-soaked lesions on lower leaves. During high humidity, white cottony growth may be visible on underside of the leaf. As the disease progresses, lesions enlarge causing leaves to brown, shrivel and die. Fruit lesions appear as dark, greasy spots that eventually turn a chocolate brown color, and can enlarge to the point of encompassing the entire fruit.

Refer to this website for more details on the symptoms of this disease. The application of fungicides plays a significant role in the control of late blight. Fungicides containing copper, chlorothanonil, or mancozeb are recommended for treatment in home gardens.

Herbicide Injury Showing Up in Henderson County

I have had multiple samples of herbicide injury on fruits and vegetables come in the office the past few weeks. Keep in mind that tomatoes are SO sensitive to some broadleaf herbicides that you can just walk past the plants with a sprayer on a hot day and they can get enough fumes to affect them. Above is a picture of what the injury can look like on tomatoes. Leaves tend to be stringy and malformed. Be sure to keep herbicides away from your fruits and vegetables.

Herbicide Carryover in Hay, Manure, Compost, and Grass Clippings:

Caution to Hay Producers, Livestock Owners, Farmers, and Home Gardeners
Many farmers and home gardeners have reported damage to vegetable and flower crops after applying horse or livestock manure, compost, hay, and grass clippings to the soil. The symptoms reported include poor seed germination; death of young plants; twisted, cupped, and elongated leaves; misshapen fruit; and reduced yields. These symptoms can be caused by other factors, including diseases, insects, and herbicide drift. Another possibility for the source of these crop injuries should also be considered: the presence of herbicides in the manure, compost, hay, or grass clippings applied to the soil.

To read the full article from NC State University, click here.

Pesticide Collection Date Set

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in cooperation with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Henderson County center will be offering a Pesticide Collection Day for residents in Henderson, Buncombe, Haywood, Polk, Transylvania and surrounding counties. The local site manager will be Mr. Marvin A. Owings, Jr. Agricultural Extension Agent for Henderson County. Collection will be Tuesday, July 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Jackson Park.

Nearly all pesticide products will be accepted. For liquid pesticide containers larger than 5 gal or for unlabeled pesticides, please contact the Cooperative Extension Office for information before bringing to the collection event. No gas cylinders are accepted at the event; however, assistance information can be provided. Contact the Cooperative Extension Office for more information. Don't miss this opportunity for residents in Henderson and surrounding counties. For more information contact the Henderson County Extension Center at (828) 697-4891.

Polk County Cooperative Extension is co-sponsoring a Pesticide Pick Up Day on Thursday, September 3rd. It will be held from 10 am to 2 pm at the 4-H Center on Locust Street in Columbus, NC.

If you have unwanted or unused pesticides that you no longer use, please bring them in a labeled container and they will be gladly accepted. There is no charge to drop off these products. We will not accept paints or paint thinners.

For more information, contact John Vining at (828) 894-8218.

Pesticide Pick up Day Scheduled

On Wednesday, June 3rd, farmers and homeowners can dispose of their unwanted or unused pesticides. The Haywood County Extension Center along with NCDA&CS will be sponsoring a pesticide disposal collection day from 10:00am - 2:00pm at the Extension office on Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

We will be able to collect any pesticide (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) that are in original containers and are clearly labeled. There is no charge to the public for this service.

Materials of unknown identity, paints, or other hazardous waste will not be accepted.

For more information contact Tim Mathews at 828-456-3575.

Henderson County Pesticide Collection Day

NC Cooperative Extension is pleased to announce our annual Pesticide Disposal Collection Day will be held this year on Tuesday, July 29th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The collection will be located in Jackson Park in the parking lot of fields 8 & 9 (behind the Extension Center). There is no charge and we will collect any pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) that are in original containers and are clearly labeled. Materials of unknown identity, paints, or other hazardous waste will NOT be accepted.

No Spray Roses for Southeastern US

Black spot (Diplocarpon rosae, Marssonina rosae) is one of the most common and important diseases of roses throughout the world. Black spot will cause a general weakening of the plant so that progressively fewer and fewer blooms are formed if the disease is left unchecked. Spots are nearly circular with fringed or feathery margins and vary in size. Surrounding leaf tissue turns yellow before dropping. Bottom leaves are normally affected first. Conditions that favor the development are 75-85 degrees F, temperatures with relative humidity above 85%, overcrowding and reduced air flow.

Cercospora leafspot (Cercospora puderi, Cercospora rosicola) is characterized by the appearance of numerous tiny maroon to purple oval spots scattered randomly across the leaf surface. Later the center of the spot turns tan to gray in color while the margins remain maroon to dark purple. Heavily spotted leaves will turn yellow and prematurely shed. This infection can be easily confused with Blackspot. Same weather conditions that produce Blackspot will provide optimal growing conditions for Cercospora.

A homeowner may use a fungicide labeled for control of Blackspot to control both of these fungal infections. Fungicides, such as Daconil and Immunox, which are recommended as weekly treatments for blackspot control, should also provide good protection from Cercospora leaf spot when applied on the same schedule.

The University of Tennessee has been conducting a no-spray rose trial for the last two years. A total of 136 cultivars were evaluated for their resistance to black spot and cercospora leaf spot in 3 test locations across the state. Below you will find a listing of the most resistant cultivars of shrub roses. If you would like a full listing of rose cultivars tested, please contact me for a handout.

o Carefree Sunshine (Yellow)
o Hansa (Mauve)
o Homerun (Flame Red)
o Knockout (Cherry Red)
o Palmengarten Frankfurt (Mauve Pink)
o Pink Knockout (Pink)
o Wildberry Breeze (Mauve)

Information provided by Alan Windham, University of Tennessee Extension Service.
American Rose Society http://www.ars.org/

Pesticide Disposal Collection Day Scheduled

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services along with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service are sponsoring a Pesticide Disposal Collection Day on Wednesday, June 6. This event will be held at the Haywood County Extension Center located at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville. Technicians will be on hand from 10am-2pm to assist you with pesticide disposal. We can collect any pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc.) that are in original containers and are clearly labeled. There is no charge to the public for this service; however, we cannot accept products with unknown identities, products that are unlabeled, or products not in pesticide containers. Materials of unknown identity, paints, or other hazardous waste will not be accepted. For more information or questions about this event, please call 828-456-3575.