Daffodil Pests and Diseases

» loycemckenzie - Not nice, but necessary

I always look forward to the first day of the
month because, before I tackle the bill-paying,
I go to Mary Lou's new column.

Usually it is ideas or inspiration. Not this time.
I would love not to think about pests and diseases, just say, "Let the fittest survive."
But that doesn't quite work, because the weakest
link infests the others.

But I appreciate your telling us what we need to
know, and not just what we would like to hear.
Mary Lou, a couple of questions, because you
have also lived in the South, though Middle
Tennessee is never as hot as our climate:

l) Do you think that solar sterilization(I have
Delia Bankhead's very specific instructions)
will help very much against basal rot?

2) Do you think dredging the base of each bulb, or
the best and most expensive new bulbs, in dry
fungicide, is a pretty good substitute for
that major professional onslaught of chemicals?
This was suggested to me by a successful hybri-
dizer, and I did it last year, and at least
during the growing season I had no problems.

You did touch upon the major concerns for those
of us in the Deep South---know the cultivars which
are healthy in our climate, and do not plant when
the suppliers say to plant. (My preference is
between November l and Thanksgiving.)

Loyce McKenzie
in

-- posted by loycemckenzie

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» Mary Lou - Re: Not nice, but necessary

Hi Loyce,
I don't know if "solarization" would be helpful in controlling the basal rot fungus or not, but it certainly couldn't hurt. If it gets hot enough under the plastic to kill nematodes and other pathogens, then it would surely get hot enough to kill the basal rot fungus. And since you wait until November to plant, your soil would have cooled down.

And yes, I'd try dipping the bulb in a dry fungicide. In fact, I've done that with some miniature bulbs that I plant in pots. I use a mixture that Jim Wells sent me years ago, because I still have some. But I think you could use the Cleary's 3336 wettable powder which ADS mentions in the new Handbook, or some other fungicide. Be sure to wear gloves, though, when you handle the bulbs.

-- posted by Mary Lou

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