Should I clean my soil? (Diseased plants last year)

[mfedukovich]

So last year our vegetable garden suffered from the horrible weather we had here. It was very hot and humid most of the summer and we got a ton of rain (unusual for this area). Our tomatoes were affected by early blight, I think, from the hot and wet weather. Our squash ended up with powdery mildew, but I kept that at bay enough for squash to keep growing with a baking soda and water spray. And most everything else suffered in other ways.

My question is: Do we need to do anything to clean the soil for this years crop so disease doesn't spread? if so, how?

Thanks!

[TZ -OH6]

Assuming you cleared off all of the dead plant matter at the end of last season all you can do is to mulch heavily to prevent splash up of spores onto the plants, position the plants in such a way that they dry out quickly and have your spray of choice ready.

[mfedukovich]

We cleared off the plants after everything was done last year. I thought I read that when plants get sick from certain things it affects the soil too. So I didn't know if there was anything we needed to do or could do to protect the plants this year from diseases that may come from soil affected last year.

What is the best type of mulch for a veggie garden? Hay?

[dmcness]

I agree with the fact that if you remove the infected plants from the previous year it should help, and the mulch idea sounds like a good idea. I had some growth on brocolli a year ago, removed the invected plants and I did not have a problem the next year.

[rainbowgardener]

The blight etc does not over-winter in the soil, so you should be fine.

The mulch is a good suggestion for a lot of reasons. And yes for growing veggies, a "green" mulch is good, like hay or grass clippings.

[applestar]

It would help to mix in some good compost to your soil. The beneficial organisms in the compost will help to out-compete or even kill the pathogenic organisms in the soil.

It's like eating the active/live culture probiotic yogurt helps to strengthen your immune and digestive system.

Mulching will protect the compost organisms from the sun and help feed them.

[Ozark Lady]

I have 9 beds, and just as a general practice I solarize a bed every year.
I select my worst bed of the last year, and start early stuff like lettuce, radishes etc. By the time they are done, it is hot weather.

Once I harvest it all. I water the bed really heavy, then I take clear plastic and place it over the bed, and let it get really hot, I bake it for a week or two, some weeds will sprout and die in the heat.

Then I remove the plastic and cover the bed with some decent compost and let it set for another week or two to get the microbes back in and working again. And I pull any weed seeds that I got in during that time.

Then it is ready to go again. Just remember to rotate your crops! And build the humus in your soil.

[garden5]

I have 9 beds, and just as a general practice I solarize a bed every year.
I select my worst bed of the last year, and start early stuff like lettuce, radishes etc. By the time they are done, it is hot weather.

Once I harvest it all. I water the bed really heavy, then I take clear plastic and place it over the bed, and let it get really hot, I bake it for a week or two, some weeds will sprout and die in the heat.

Then I remove the plastic and cover the bed with some decent compost and let it set for another week or two to get the microbes back in and working again. And I pull any weed seeds that I got in during that time.

Then it is ready to go again. Just remember to rotate your crops! And build the humus in your soil.

Like OL just said, rotate the crops. This means not planting the same thing in the same place. But, to go into it a little deeper, you should try to not plant anything of the same family in the same spot that a member of that family grew in last season. This means that if you have some diseases zucchini, you should not plant any member of the squash family in that spot for at least one or two years.

Actually, crop rotation is a good practice even if you do not have any disease problems; it will help to prevent them.