Davis: Tips for growing award-winning veggies

The Clark County Fair begins next week. That means it is time for home gardeners to get ready to submit their best early-season vegetables for judging.

To have blue-ribbon entries, vegetables can’t have damage from disease.

Most garden diseases originate from fungal or bacterial pathogens. These pathogens can flourish when garden plants are stressed.

That is why it is important to take a few steps to minimize as much stress on the garden plants as is possible.

Here are a few things you can do to minimize the spread of disease in your garden this time of year, and hopefully produce blue-ribbon quality vegetables in your garden.

If possible, don’t work in the garden when the foliage is wet.

I know many people like to work the garden in the morning. I understand why, since the temperatures are nice, and there is something about starting the day off in the garden.

Be mindful most garden disease pathogens are moved easily when the vines are wet.

A better idea might be to wait and work in the garden in the evening. This is especially true for garden plants that are more susceptible to diseases, like tomatoes.

Remember to add maintenance fertilizer or compost to the garden. Even if you did a soil test and added all the recommended fertilizer pre-plant, most garden plants still require nitrogen fertilizer or compost for maintenance.

The timing for a side-dress application of fertilizer or compost is different for each type of vegetable, but in general, 2.5 ounces of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 10 feet of row in each side-dress application is adequate.

A second side-dress application is recommended for high nitrogen-using garden plants such as tomatoes, potatoes and sweet corn.

Another way to minimize garden diseases is to apply preventative fungicides at regular intervals. Most preventative fungicides should be applied once every seven to 10 days.

To know more about what to apply targeting specific garden pests for a specific garden crop, contact the Clark County Extension Office by calling 744-4682.

If you are interested in seeing if you are growing blue-ribbon quality vegetables or flowers, consider putting entries into the Clark County Fair.

Entries will be accepted at the Clark County Fairgrounds Monday, June 17, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Even if you don’t plan to enter anything in the fair, come on out and bring the family throughout the week. Ride the rides, watch the livestock shows, watch the pageants and more. The carnival will run Tuesday, June 18, through Saturday, June 22.

There will be a variety of other activities throughout the week.

For a complete list, pick up a fair catalog at the Clark county Extension Office.

David Davis is a Clark County Extension Service Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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