<![CDATA[SimplyDiscus - Homesteader (It's Your World Within Our World)]]> https://forum.simplydiscus.com/ This is a paid subscription section for hobbyists wanting their own sub-forum. Help support SimplyDiscus through a yearly subscription of $50. All forum rules apply. No commercial posts. en Sat, 15 Aug 2026 06:34:40 GMT vBulletin 60 https://forum.simplydiscus.com/favicon.ico <![CDATA[SimplyDiscus - Homesteader (It's Your World Within Our World)]]> https://forum.simplydiscus.com/ Diseases are a real PITA https://forum.simplydiscus.com/forum/simplydiscus-community/homesteader-it-s-your-world-within-our-world/brew-s-world-brewmaster15-connecticut/2777448-diseases-are-a-real-pita Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:20:08 GMT Title says it all. Its ironic that over all the years I have kept Discus one of the things thats most frustrating for hobbyists are encounters with Diseases. They can be devastating! And depressing. You would think that after dealing with them I would be sure that any of my other hobbies were not...
I have mentioned that this year I am having some real issues with some of my garden plants that I suspect started with purchased soil. I had hoped that after some early season die offs, things had stabilized but they haven't. The recent periods of heat and heavy downpours has been decimating my peppers and several other plants here. The Culprit is Pepper Blight.PHYTOPHTHORA BLIGHT OF PEPPER

https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/...ht-on-peppers/

https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/d...pdf?rev=40aa6e 659634447bb258240353ebfad7&hash=3E32693CDF4B9AA0BF B026E54B5E2572

DISEASE DEVELOPMENT
Phytophthora capsici is a soilborne pathogen
that has a wide host range, including pepper,
tomato, eggplant, and most cucurbits
(cucumber, squash, pumpkins, watermelon,
and muskmelons). The pathogen can survive
in soil many years in the form of resting
spores (oospores), which serve as primary
inoculum. The pathogen also survives as
chlamydospores or mycelium in infected
tissues of susceptible crops, or in weed
species such as Carolina wild geranium and
black nightshade. Under moist conditions, the
pathogen produces other types of spores
(sporangia and zoospores) on infected plants
that enable it to spread throughout a field by
wind, wind-driven and splashing rain, and
run-off water. The pathogen can be
transmitted from field to field through
diseased plants, contaminated soil, and
contaminated equipment.
Heavy rainfall, saturated soils, and warm
temperatures (75 to 85F) favor disease
development. Phytophthora blight usually
starts on the plants in low and poorly drained
areas of a field, especially after excessive
rains
The weather in CT this summer has been a perfect storm for it.I'm watching it move from one beautiful plant to another and theres literally nothing I can do but pull them up and throw them out.

Whats worse is knowing that I need to start all over... This pathogen stays in the soil for years. That means I need to dump all my containers soil and ditch the containers. I use wood barrels and fabric bags, Those will hold spores, so I need to pitch them and buy new ones. The yard beds will need to be planted with different crops but they won't be what I need. All said, Its likely to cost me thousands to redo everything above ground if I want to plant peppers again and other susceptible crops. The last few years I have had some incredible gardens. Its very depressing knowing that its likely I can not plant again here some things I look forward to each year.

Ah well. It could not be helped. This is why gardening can be a challenge. I'm going to really have to think about how to proceed next year, If I do at all.






]]> brewmaster15 https://forum.simplydiscus.com/forum/simplydiscus-community/homesteader-it-s-your-world-within-our-world/brew-s-world-brewmaster15-connecticut/2777448-diseases-are-a-real-pita