Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi
I pulled back my fleece today that has been covering my oriental leaves
and they had not grown the same as usual, probabily about 50% yield and most of what had grown had patches of mould on it also the leaves felt limp.
does anyone know why this may be?

We have had weeks with hardly any rain but i have been regulary watering the garden.
Any help would be great.

Hi Geacher

I would guess at botrytis caused by warm humid conditions around the plants trapped by the fleece. If you watered over the fleece you would create a temporary film preventing air movement. Why did you have the fleece on the plants?

So really it is through lack of ventilation. This is where small mesh netting scores over fleece. Although I use both I always make sure that the fleece is held as high over the crop as possible so that the fleece does not hug the plants so to speak. It is such a shame when this happens.
JB.

Thanks for the advice, I Have to use fleec or mesh as i have a bad flea beetle problem.

Thanks Again

Hi Geacher

Flea beetles are less of a problem after late spring. Mouldy leaves are worse than leaves with holes in.