Thread: Fusarium wilt
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Old July 17, 2010   #18
b54red
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
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Carolyn, since I have been gardening in the same location for 30 years I have found no spots in my main garden to be free of fusarium. I do have a couple of beds that are much worse and one that has only mild infection. In the worst areas I have never found a plant that is totally immune to the fusarium effects even the fusarium resistant hybrids are affected. When I say tolerant I mean a plant that can still be productive despite fusarium. Many of the varieties got several plantings in different locations to give me a fairer test. I don't know if some will turn out to be just lucky breaks in the planting locations but it is very hard to plant 3 plants in different locations in my garden and avoid fusarium. Many of the ones that I think are tolerant were planted in the same spot as one that had to be removed because it was dying of fusarium wilt yet they still were able to grow and produce well. Since I was told many years ago by an extension agent that I could only grow fusarium resistant varieties in my garden I have gotten tired of the sameness of the hybrids and now I am in pursuit of some heirlooms that can perform. This could be a totally futile experiment; but next year I am going to bet on the ones that thrived this year.
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