Blight warning
With the very wet and humid conditions of the past few weeks, the almost inevitable potato blight has struck very early on both sites. Potato leaves will discolour and stalks will die back in a matter of days with a distinctive odour about them. If the foliage is not quickly removed down to the ground level on those plants affected, the blight can spread to the underground tubers, which then become unusable. All affected foliage that has been removed should not be composted or placed in the brown bin, but instead burnt or put into general waste bins. Tomato plants can be similarly affected and should be pulled up and disposed of in the same way. Spores that cause the blight can remain in the soil or compost for a year or so. It is thus better to avoid planting potatoes and tomatoes next year in the ground that has been so affected this year.
There are now several varieties of blight resistant potatoes and tomatoes available, which are usually clearly labelled as such and which you may care to think about growing next year. Blight seems to be becoming more prevalent each year, but not usually this early in the season. Only once before have I known it this early in 40 years of allotment gardening although most years now it often presents itself by late August or September when most of the growing has been done and crops can be harvested successfully.
