We have 30+ year old cedar trees in our yard, that stand almost 25-30 feet tall. Just this summer, we found that one of the trees was dying. Someone told us that it is dying from a fungus called phytophtora and that there is nothing we can do about it. In reseaching this problem I found one person who suggested "Salt Spikes" or "Salt Pebbles" or a "salt chemical." I cannot find anything at all about these salt products. Are they organic, what do you know of them, and could you suggest anything else that might help us save these cedar trees. They offer great shade & privacy to us. We live in SW Washington state where we get a great deal of rain. I am told that this is what causes phytophtora, but I would assume that after 30+ years the roots would be strong and solid. Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

     There seems to be a shortage of cures for phytophtora. This fungus infects many different plants - everything from rasberry bushes to cherry and cedar trees. I found a contact in Washington DC that might have some advice. They published a study of the effect of phtophtora on cherry trees. The address is:

U.S. NATIONAL ARBORETUM,
3501 NEW YORK AVE., N. E.
WASHINGTON DC 20002 FAX: 202-245-4579

They might be able to help you out. I also found an article at http://ucs.orst.edu/~niederhf/HRNEWS41.html The article summarized a research project involving fungal problems with apple trees. From it, I derived two possible solutions to your problem. You could plant a cover crop of wheat on the ground beneath your cedar trees. The roots of some varieties of wheat discourage harmful microorganisms, like phytophtora. You might also look into soil fumigation. I have never heard of this practice, but the article claimed that it removes the phytophtora from the soil. I'm not sure if the fumigation can be done after the trees are established...you'll have to find that out for yourself. Visit this site to submit your question to the ucs.orst.edu website - they might be able to help you out. As for the "salt pebbles," I could find no information.

  The fruits on our tomato plants are turning brown on the bottom. The browning is accompanied by rotting. How can we control this problem? 

     Your tomatoes are suffering from blossom end rot. Blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiency and water stress resulting from irregular watering. Organisms often invade this area, but are not the cause of the problem. To control blossom end rot organically, do the following:

• Apply gypsum (a common soil amendment - 22% calcium and 11% sulfur) to the soil, following the directions on the package
• Improve water management through regular deep watering
• Use a mulch to reduce evaporation (see my mulch page)
• Space tomatoes far apart to avoid water stress

  My mulch sometimes gets covered with mold. Should we remove it at the end of the season?  

     The mulch in my landscaping also develops mold during the growing season. The mold is decomposing your mulch...it's breaking it down to the building blocks that fuel healthy plant growth. The mold is gradually working to improve the quality of the soil. If you do not mind the appearance of the mold, you should not remove it at the end of the season. Over the winter, it will continue to break down the mulch, and when springtime comes around, the soil near the mold will be enriched with nutrients. Simply rototill the mold and decomposed mulch into the soil before you plant in Spring.

  I think my tomatoes have blight. What can I do to save them? 

     First, make sure that your plants actually do have tomato blight. On leaves, brown to black spots form and enlarge, developing concentric rings like a target. Heavily blighted leaves dry up and die as spots grow together. Lower leaves are usually attacked first. Targetlike, sunken spots will also develop on branches and stems.

     If you have not planted your tomatoes yet, then you can easily control tomato blight. The safest option is to plant your tomatoes in a different location from last season (50 feet away and in the sun.) In the old garden you could plant onions, garlic, or another resistant plant. You could also try to plant the tomatoes in the same site: First, remove all plant debris from last growing season - diseases spend the winter in dead plants. Turn over the soil and allow it to sit in the sun for a few days (repeat this process several times - it's called solarizing the soil, and it kills many of the bacteria, fungi, and insects that are present.) When you buy seeds/plants, be sure to buy varieties that are disease resistant, or specifically blight resistant (Alternaria blight is the formal name for tomato blight). You may also want to soak the seeds in a disinfecting solution before planting.

     If blight appears during the growing season, control is somewhat more difficult. Cut off affected branches as soon as you spot signs of blight. If only one of your plants is affected, remove that plant from the garden.

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