Some vegetable diseases tend to be more pesky some years than others.
This gardening season, southern stem blight, sometimes referred to as white mold, caused problems in home vegetable gardens statewide. Gardeners who experienced crop losses as a result of southern blight in 1996 will likely suffer similar problems during the 1997 gardening season unless precautionary steps are taken starting this fall. Southern blight is caused by a fungus. This fungus can attack and kill beans, peas, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and numerous other vegetable crops. Disease outbreaks are most severe during periods of wet, warm weather when temperatures range from 80 to 95 degrees.