[gardeners] Fusarium - Basil
Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 1 Apr 1998 22:12:33 +0000
Bad news about the spread of the disease in basil.
I talked with two good-sized commercial growers in my area today. They
both reported their first experience with Fusarium in their basil stock.
Both are using certified seed from Johnny's. One of the growers is
certified organic and particularly interested in tracking the spread in
the commercial seed supply.
Johnny's is a great supplier, and as far as I know Johnny's and Richters
have been the leaders in identifying the threat to basil and institutiing
certification standards. Johnny's has said that even with certificated
seed, there is no guarantee that seed won't be contaminated.
So, if you're growing basil this season, pay really close attention to the
condition of the seedlings. If even a single seedling/plant looks "sickly"
I'd advise you destroy the plant and replace surrounding soil immediately
to try and contain the spread of disease
Catharine for whom a season without basil would be miserable indeed