Summer Bits and Bobs.

[Westi]

Hi Burnie! It is a cultivated one that has fruit, so a bit of a cheat, the real one is only in flower so don't feel you are too behind. In fact yours will undoubtably have bigger & more tasty fruit. If it makes you feel better my runners are sulking badly, a few are starting to climb but not with any zest. Any tips to perk them up gratefully received...maybe they will perk up anyway as have some showers in the mix for a bit.

Hi Myrkk! My earlies got bad blight that seemed to hit the whole bed at once so I had to take them. My 2nd earlies have the odd plant affected so been able to nip off bits & it's working at the moment. Main crop are getting the blight guard watering when showers predicted & so far all clear, but going to be challenged as have a lot of showers one day & clear the next coming up.

[oldherbaceous]

Did a plant stall for the Church Fete last Saturday, well I donated the plants, but Sam and Lily ran it……they took a very respectable £261, so they were very pleased….as were the Church folk!

[Westi]

Nice day on the plot, & no-one around so gave everything a leisurely water & went back again & repeated it. It was supposed to rain today but I knew that was unlikely just looking upwards. Got some big rain due on Friday so gave the spuds a Blight Guard water.

Back of the plot looking tidy & got a nice surprise while raking up when a ripe Plum Beauty dropped on my head. Found about 20 fruit nicely hidden in the leaves at the back, the others not quite ripe yet but I will be watching them like a hawk, they are all mine! A further look around the tree & did find others not spotted before & some overhanging the neighbours so he will be able to get some as well. It was quite a leisurely time spent weeding & the like. Probably because I'm caught up more or less so a wee breather to enjoy - well until the weeds go berserk after the rain!

[Colin2016]

What is "Blight Guard water" Westi?

[retropants]

I was wondering the same ??

[Westi]

It is JBA Blight Guard. It is a prevention for blight that you water/spray on every week, but recommended if you do get a blight period/warning to give another fresh spray regardless. Apparently all natural ingredients & no chemicals. It only works as a preventative & if you get blight it won't stop it from spreading by spraying again. I tend to focus more on protecting the toms from late blight with it, as I think it is more effective & I can get the toms through to a natural end with them in the tunnel. I am watering the 2nd & main spuds with it a bit more than previous years as we have blight on the site & also I was later putting them in so know the tubers won't be a decent size for storing for any length of time if I can't limp them through a bit longer.

You only need 40 mls in each watering can, & I manage to water 4 rows with one can as my plants quite small still. It is totally worth shopping around for it as prices vary quite a lot & you often find a buy one get one half price, how ever most places I use are saying out of stock with no date for re-supply. One of the guys on the site recommended Generic Potato Blight Fungicide to replace so gone for that to continue helping the spuds with fingers crossed that the Blight Guard will be available again soon as I know it works.

[Cider Boys]

Well at last it's raining here and my vegetable patch could certainly do with a drenching. I have been spreading some clover seeds over my sheep's pasture hoping they will trample them in and the rain should help with germination.

Although the rain has come too late for my potatoes and they are a little small yet very tasty. It's good to learn that there are readily available potato blight prevention products available. I no longer grow main crop potatoes and try to plant my earlies early to avoid the menace of blight. I wish there was something to spray on turnips to deter the pigeons that have devastated mine.

All the best

Barney

[oldherbaceous]

We had a long steady rain yesterday, and like you, Barney, we were desperate for it too! I’ve been trying to keep the watering to a minimum this year and have only watered my runner beans once and my carrots and beetroot twice…..mainly due to I have found carrying cans of water, is one of the things that keeps triggering pain in my back/hip…..
I have just started to pick my runner beans proper now and fingers crossed for a good season…first planting of Charlotte are coming out smaller than I had hoped!

[Colin2016]

Thanks for the explanation Westi, now I know what my new neighbour on the plot is spraying on his spuds.

Is spuds splitting like the picture below a cause of blight?

split spud (1).jpg (279.42 KiB) Viewed 5306 times

[Geoff]

I always assume that's variation in moisture Colin but I could be wrong, though not blight.

Re Charlotte OH, 27 roots 2023 54kg, 2024 22kg. Not sure why, seems unlikely to be moisture, wasn't that happy with the shoots on the seed when I planted them. I thought my trial of Orla at 11kg from 9 had gone badly until I dug the Charlotte.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Colin, are they Swift by any chance, as mine have done this, this year….they have done it before and I put it down to sudden heavy rain, just as the potatoes are starting to swell…..

Morning Geoff, I think with my first Charlotte, it was down to not enough moisture at the critical time, as they kept wilting in the heat, then the tops started dying off….one thing I did observe though was, the top were very tall this year, so wether the low light levels also affected them in some way too!

[Westi]

No Colin that tends to be big rain or big watering that causes the spuds too grow too quickly, but these scars will dry out before harvest & can be peeled off, however this scar can also be a portal for the blight if unlucky to get it before the skin hardens.

[Westi]

I left home with just some cloud, but it was full on rain & wind by the time I got to the bus stop; much to the dogs disgust! But already wet so continued the journey & focused on tunnel stuff for a bit. Then had to risk a visit to the shed to get some seeds, went into the shed in big rain & came out in full on blue sky which lasted the rest of the day. (Thunder & lightening again tomorrow so very pleased of the chance to crack on).

I stuck to the re-sows, & got most done. About my 4th/5th sow of the humble lettuces outside with another batch of fresh seeds, (Thank you KG), no idea what is going on with them; but found the celeriac seeds are finally up! I think despite my Fort Knox barrier around the peas the little furry things have found them, but too early to tell for sure. Cleared the Chinese bed as missed the opportunity to take the Pak Choi at it's best, but found one useable. And shock/horror I have had a carrot pop up in old cold frame - yep really just one but hopefully it will invite it's mates!

[Colin2016]

Thanks for all your replies.

Yes they are Swift, most tast ok to me er indoors said she had a watery one though.

I think my main spuds have blight, my neighbour who sprays his are ok so guess this spraying works.

Wonder what the farmers do as can't see them spraying every week?

[tigerburnie]

The farmers round here do spray the tatties, but not every week, at present they are just watering them as the rain we have had has not been much. Today is a typical 14 degrees, no wind and little sun, the grass is growing, but not much else really.