I started tomato seeds indoors last year, and they did really well after planting outside until half the plants had an almost instant wilting or blight. The seeds were VFN [resistant to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt and nematode]. Any thoughts on varieties for this year or changes to the soil?
Wilt is collapsed plant tissue, like a wet rag, which can be caused by lack of water, allelopathy (when plants are stunted or killed from root toxins of another plant) or a root disease such as fusarium wilt. Blight means something else and can be very common and relatively manageable in our area. Seeds with a VFN (verticillium, fusarium, nematode) designation are disease-resistant, but this does not mean disease-proof. For this year's seed, look for a VFN designation that has a subscript 1, 2 or 3 after the F for the highest level of disease resistance. Contact us immediately during the growing season when symptoms first appear.
With most plants dormant in winter, I've started noticing big beige clumps of what looks like an ornamental grass growing along a stretch of road near me for 2 miles. The top has a flopped-over tassel look. Is this the invasive grass phragmites?
This is miscanthus, a popular ornamental grass whose seeds have increased in viability along with its widespread use. Now it is listed as a Maryland invasive species, because it pushes out native plants. Because it eventually grows into an unwieldy clump with winter stalks that are unsightly by springtime and difficult to cut down, homeowners have an incentive to remove it. Replace with a native such as switchgrass or a nonaggressive ornamental grass such as feather reed grass. Go to the Maryland Invasive Species Council website, mdinvasivesp.org, for more.