The big news in 2009 was the late blight epidemic that affected pretty much everyone in the northeastern US. the disease is the same that caused the Irish potato famine, caused by the oomycete (very similar to a fungus, but technically not) Phytopthora infestans. It is a disease of both tomato and potato, as well as some weeds in the nightshade (solanacea) family. As far as we know, there has been only one mating type present in the northeast, which means that there has been no $ectual reproduction. if there had, there would have been produced oospores, which are very long-lived in the soil. Asexual reproduction produces zoospores, which have a very short life. Absent oospores, the pathogen requires LIVING host tissue to survive. Since your tomatoes winter kill, they will not contribute to disease next year. The common source of initial inoculum is infected potato tubers- since they can survive the winter, either buried in the field, then growing as volunteers; cull piles that don't freeze solid; or potatoes from your pantry that get tossed in the compost.
Contrary to the initial post, the rainy weather was NOT the cause of the disease last year; it merely provided the ideal conditions for the spread of the disease. There is lots more good info out there- do a google search.
As to how to prevent disease (because prevention is about all you can do; once you've got it, it's too late): for tomatoes, use disease-free transplants. The epidemic really got its start last year when the big box garden centers sold infected tomato transplants from the south all over the north east. the disease needs high humidity, so space your plants enough apart for good air flow around the foliage. staking or trellising might help with that.
as far as chemical control: use broad-spectrum contact fungicides on a preventative basis ie every 5-7 days beginning BEFORE the disease is present and continuing until the plants die. chlorothalonil and mancozeb are two excellent choices. if you're organic, copper. READ THE LABEL.
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Today's Featured Article - The Nuts and Bolts of Fasteners - Part 2 - by Curtis Von Fange. In our previous article we discussed capscrews, bolts, and nuts along with their relative hardness and thread sizes. In this segment we will finish up on our fasteners and then work with ways to keep them from loosening up in the field. Capscrews, bolts and nuts are not the only means of holding two parts together. When dealing with thinner metals like sheet tin, a long bolt and
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