Many of us are (unfortunately) all too familiar with tomato blight. And since we're hearing that it's hit the East coast already this year, we'll be dealing with it all over again.
But a new blight is giving gardeners cause for concern. Basil blight is a downy mildew that affects the foliage of basil plants. It spreads fast, and, as with tomato blight, if one gardener in the area has it, it's likely that other gardeners growing basil will be dealing with it soon as well.
Basil blight is a sooty-looking fungus that is found on the undersides of basil leaves. Eventually, the leaf will turn a grayish color and die. As it spreads throughout the plant, the plant eventually dies. And, even worse, the spores spread to other plants in the area.
What to do? At the first sign of basil blight, pull out and use as much of the unaffected basil as you can. Destroy (don't compost!) the rest. And plant basil in a different place in the garden next year.
For more about basil blight, as well as photos of what it looks like, take a look at the story from NPR's website.
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