Pier Boxes Retry

[lakngulf]

In 2010 I built some "pier boxes" to grow my tomatoes with great success. I filled the boxes with rich top soil.
[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/G2010J2/June20_2010057.jpg[/img]

This year I added some fresh top soil to "top off" the boxes and the plants took off again. And then, one by one, they began to look like this:
[img]https://i854.photobucket.com/albums/ab104/lakngulf/2011_001_Greenhouse/IMG_0053.jpg[/img]

Based on the sympthoms and degression of each plant, I am convinced it is Southern Bacterial Wilt. I have googled everything I can find on that and fusarium wilt, and have concluded that the boxes need to be emptied and filled with fresh soil. Also, there is a possiblity that the wilt survives in the cages as well.

Please educate me on all I should do other than remove the dirt, wash out the boxes and refill. Anyone with ideas to "sterilize" the boxes?

[soil]

plant something else for a few years.

[DoubleDogFarm]

plant something else for a few years

outside the night shade family of course.

Eric

[CharlieBear]

Wash the cages in a mild soap solution rinse and set in the sun to bake for a couple of days, repeat. If you remove the soil, where will you put it? If you have room build two more boxes. One for next year and one for the following year or better yet three, that way those boxes can remain tomato, eggplant, pepper free for three more years. If you do remove the soil then wash them in soapy water, dry in the sun, then horror, wash with a very dilute bleach solution, air dry and rewash with soapy water. Leave empty until early next spring, then and only then refill with sterile potting soil, nursery mix etc. That will lessen the chance of the problem continuing, but it is not a guantee if you didn't seal the wood with linseed oil first. You could also line the side with heavy gage black plastic for several years, not what some would concider organic, some would, it is your choice.

[davefromwestchester]

Hi,

I have a quick question about your cages. They look like wire fencing that you bent around and turned into cages, twisting the ends together. Am I seeing this correctly? Did you make them?

Thanks.

David R

[DoubleDogFarm]

Maybe this will help.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/2002-06-01/Using-Wire-Mesh.aspx


Eric

[lakngulf]

I have a quick question about your cages. They look like wire fencing that you bent around and turned into cages, twisting the ends together. Am I seeing this correctly? Did you make them? Thanks. David R

Yes, I made them, out of concrete construction wire. The following is a quote from the article DoubleDog referened

"Concrete reinforcing mesh, made of softer, 9-gauge wire, is inexpensive, stiff enough to make sturdy cages and easy to work with using pliers and wire cutters."

The wire is sturdy, and not actually "easy" to work with, but with some gloves and good cutting pliers you can put them together and they are good for years. Now my issue is whether the cages have some of the bacterial wilt in them.