Kitchen Garden Forum

I’ve four cherry bushes this year I’ve had 1 cherry it’s the same with the plums I’ve 2 trees left 2 died last year I’ve seen 3 plums , even my reliable pear tree is down to half its usual crop ,apples are everywhere it’s defiantly a good year for apples we have not had rain for over 5 weeks our council do not like anyone using hose pipes but I’ve been going on early so I don’t get caught even so my early potatoes have suffered from lack of water then again I’ve not seen any fellow plotter who is happy with their potatoes,any one had any rain ?

No rain here, Robo. But it looks as if we might get some from tonight onwards. I hope so because I have spent hours lugging watering cans .....

Pulled bed of spuds up as was told they have blight lots of good ones on the large size with no damage.

Notice soil was still damp even though there has been no rain for a few weeks, they keep forecasting thunderstorms but keeps missing here.

Had a lovely crop of onions most on the large size, fellow plot holder said he had blight on his so had to cut tops off.

Toms are starting to turn red.

Something is eating my French beans so have ordered a nature camera to find the culprit.

Had to pull up some brussel sprouts plants as they were over crowded, message to self only one of each type not three.

Five minutes of rain here. Barely enough to moisten the soil and now sunny again so worried about blight. It's been quite humid here over the past week but strangely no blight warnings. Wonder if those who trigger the warnings are all off work having been pinged ???

I've not had a single alert this year but there must have been Hutton periods. Logged into the Blightwatch website and it still recognised me and showed I was set up for alerts but the site didn't seem to be working properly.

Exactly the same for me Geoff on Blightwatch, can get into the site, but get no alerts & when I click on the calendar thing that is showing absolutely nothing happens. They must be aware but no notice comes up to say they are working on it. I used to recommend them as so good but daren't do that currently.

Loads of showers down here so hadn't ventured to dig the spuds, cut down though as had blight despite the copper spray. I decided to have a tickle as promised my mate some but despite the rain the soil was only just moist for about 6". They are in the beds nearest the fruit trees so my assumption is the trees are sucking it all up. Definitely not putting spuds or greedy crops in that area again, although pretty good harvest but that was the fact I luckily got quite a bit of rain. My rotation options are shrinking rapidly - white onion rot, club root, bind weed, scab.

I knew at some stage I would have to go up with raised beds both for my ageing joints & these invaders, but now is not the time. The allotments are back on the list for housing with the new joined council! Here we go again, but no change in like for like availability as any site previously muted as an option is also on the housing list. Maybe they know something we don't & there might be a review of the Victorian Allotment Act coming? Mind timing is bad when the benefits through Covid are all over the press but the money received in grants for the local councils is a bigger carrot!

Sorry to hear about your problems, Westi, both current and possibly future! I hope it all gets resolved.

We had a few short hefty showers yesterday, making it 8mm in all. Not enough to get far down but it will help to germinate the green manure which I sowed on the ex-broad bean, shallot and garlic beds. The beetroot (for which I had high hopes) succumbed to the hot and dry weather and I pulled them up, shrivelled. We did eat the first new potatoes (Charlotte)!

Westi wrote:Exactly the same for me Geoff on Blightwatch, can get into the site, but get no alerts & when I click on the calendar thing that is showing absolutely nothing happens. They must be aware but no notice comes up to say they are working on it. I used to recommend them as so good but daren't do that currently. .......

I used the contact form on the website to ask if it was defunct and got a short reply this morning, "We are trying to get the service running again this year"

I’ve just got back from the allotment to a clap of thunder and hail as big as a one pence piece but no rain.

The opposite to you,in a way,Robo.I was on my way to the allotment when the Heavens opened with a loud clap of thunder and in this neck of the woods the rain has been falling off and on-mostly on-for over four hours now.

Thank you peter!

I hope they succeed as although you kind of know it's the right weather conditions, getting the confirmation e-mail can buy a longer time in the ground with some protection or spraying. Especially when it coincides with the busy weeding, watering, sowing regime that e-mail can't be ignored but you can talk yourself out of the risk of a shower from the erratic changing weather forecasts.

The weather has gone mad here (it was fairly predictable in the first couple of years). Now we're alternating between very hot and cool with thunder storms. Oh, and we're having power cuts too.

Meanwhile, my indoor garden is doing OK, so that's a reason to be cheerful.

Thanks Peter, much appreciated. Maybe we'll get a warning of late blight. Eventually.

We've lost one whole bed of heritage tomatoes to blight, but strangely, only half a bed of Sungold. The remaining 6 plants have had a few leaves removed but are growing well. Very strange.

In addition, I've removed a few suspect leaves from the polytunnel but there's been nothing for days and the tomatoes are also growing well.

This isn't normal at all. One plant with blight usually means a total wipe out and that's exactly what has happened to my plot neighbours.

The 2 beds of Crimson Crush/Blush/Plum are just fine, as always. They don't taste as good as the heritage varieties, but I always grow them to ensure a tomato crop.

Never mind, it'll soon be Chr .... ouch (hit from behind with frying pan!). I can't seem to quote @Monika do you find Jermor shallots don't store well? I had to pickle mine last year because they all suffered from neck-rot. This year I have grown Zebrune from seed - as well as Jermor and Yellow Moon, which latter have proved excellent.

JohnB wrote:Never mind, it'll soon be Chr .... ouch (hit from behind with frying pan!). I can't seem to quote @Monika do you find Jermor shallots don't store well? I had to pickle mine last year because they all suffered from neck-rot. This year I have grown Zebrune from seed - as well as Jermor and Yellow Moon, which latter have proved excellent.

JohnB. Grew Jermor for some 20 odd years [ all own stock]. Found drying properly most important. Also would never be in a hurry to lift. Would then hang through wire netting, allowing any sap left in to drain down.