Search found 350 matches

by Barry
Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:19 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Blight warning
Replies: 2
Views: 5097

Blight warning

I subscribe to Blightwatch, which tries its best to give you a heads up of imminent blight attacks based on the weather forecast. However, it has a habit of getting the forecast wrong and rewrites its warnings, just when you think nothing will happen... And that's just happened. Saturday, which was ...
by Barry
Sat Jun 16, 2018 7:40 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Rasperries under attack, but from what?
Replies: 9
Views: 8259

Re: Rasperries under attack, but from what?

I have raspberries on three sides of my plot; all of them are affected, as are raspberries on plots all around me. I'm not at all surprised what with such ghastly weather. Apparently, late frosts often cause this, as plants weaken at a time they should be growing. It looks as though I'm going to los...
by Barry
Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:23 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Login problems
Replies: 5
Views: 3913

Re: Login problems

That's the bizarre thing: there is nothing there!! I don't know how I can be permanently logged in with nothing saved in the login boxes of Firefox....
by Barry
Sat Jun 16, 2018 6:21 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Rasperries under attack, but from what?
Replies: 9
Views: 8259

Re: Rasperries under attack, but from what?

Yes, there were about six consecutive days in early June for blight :(

I'm not at all surprised by the attack on the raspberries, even weeds around here are looking sick...
by Barry
Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:51 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Rasperries under attack, but from what?
Replies: 9
Views: 8259

Re: Rasperries under attack, but from what?

Interestingly, another plot holder has discovered in a 1977 book on allotments that cane blight is a major problem in Kent!!! Apparently, infected canes have to be cut out underground, but surviving canes can be sprayed with bordeaux mixture, so I might be able to rescue my crop yet... Anybody out t...
by Barry
Fri Jun 15, 2018 10:48 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Login problems
Replies: 5
Views: 3913

Re: Login problems

But I can't see that login!!!
by Barry
Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:56 pm
Forum: General chatter
Topic: Login problems
Replies: 5
Views: 3913

Login problems

This is weird. Every time I come to the KG forum, my computer automatically logs me in. When I try to login on another computer, I can't remember my password. However, on Firefox, on my main computer, there is bizarrely no reference at all to my KG login in the logins section. How on earth can I fin...
by Barry
Fri Jun 15, 2018 8:49 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Rasperries under attack, but from what?
Replies: 9
Views: 8259

Re: Rasperries under attack, but from what?

Hi Geoff,

I've been doing lots of research, but nothing clearly fits the symptoms. However, I think it might well be verticillium wilt. And there appears to be nothing I can do :(
by Barry
Wed Jun 13, 2018 3:19 pm
Forum: Weeds, Pests and Diseases
Topic: Rasperries under attack, but from what?
Replies: 9
Views: 8259

Rasperries under attack, but from what?

In our part of Kent, the humidity this year has been very high, following a very wet winter. I don't know whether this is significant or not, but all the raspberry canes on the allotment have come under attack from something, but it doesn't seem to fit any pests and diseases that I know. Essentially...
by Barry
Tue May 15, 2018 8:14 pm
Forum: Ask the team
Topic: Mares Tail
Replies: 22
Views: 18496

Re: Mares Tail

Tony, there is another possibility. Try mixing 200g of ammonium sulphate with a litre of water and spray that. You are giving the marestail something that burns it horribly. I have cleared some patches using this technique although you do get some regrowth. I don't know exactly why it works. Perhaps...
by Barry
Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:06 pm
Forum: Seasonal tips
Topic: Best tasting Potato Varieties?
Replies: 17
Views: 13562

Re: Best tasting Potato Varieties?

I know what you mean about floury spuds having the taste. Personally, though, I prefer salad spuds, which retain a unique taste. The creamy texture of Elfe is unlike anything I have found before in potatoes, well worth growth a few just to see how it grows where you are. Never, ever, ever have I fou...
by Barry
Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:03 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: What is "well rotted" manure?
Replies: 16
Views: 14700

Re: What is "well rotted" manure?

The difficulty with the straw trick is that ours is open field manure. In other words, it comes out of the horses' bums and is collected up and then stacked in the corner of the field, which is where we retrieve it. The top of the heap looks like horse pooh. The lover levels is preudo-peat. But all ...
by Barry
Mon Apr 23, 2018 11:27 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: What is "well rotted" manure?
Replies: 16
Views: 14700

What is "well rotted" manure?

I'm curious, when we talk about "well rotted" manure, what exactly does that mean? For example, horse manure in the field next door to our allotment is stacked in a deep pile in one corner - and there is can stay for some time. The environment is quite damp, so the manure that is underneat...
by Barry
Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:54 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Using a rotavator
Replies: 6
Views: 5430

Re: Using a rotavator

Unfortunately, we have only just been given the rotavator, which even I haven't yet seen, so don't know how good it is. Thanks for all the advice, which I shall pass on to all who use it. I always try to disuade people from going down the endless dig method of gardening, advising them, where possibl...
by Barry
Tue Apr 17, 2018 2:53 pm
Forum: Best practices
Topic: Using a rotavator
Replies: 6
Views: 5430

Using a rotavator

On a recent edition of Gardeners' Question Tim on Radio 4 there was a brief conversation about rotavator use, but I also wanted to check with you experts as well as to how best to use a rotavator on heavy clay soil. From what I remember, the experts on GQT were concerned about using rotavators on he...