"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 2 Jun 2008 16:51:52 +0100, "John E"
wrote:

Last year I attempted to grow outdoor tomatoes for the first time for
about
25 years. They all died from Tomato Blight. I understand that this was an
unusual event, but I am now slightly paranoid about blight on my outdoor
tomatoes this year. I have resolved to use Bordeaux mixture as required,

Hi John
Tomato blight was not an unusual event last year. I have had blight
on my outdoor tomatoes (but not potatoes) for the last 7 years.
One year I tried Bordeaux mixture on them (before the blight) and it
delayed it a bit but left a nasty bluish-white powdery deposit on the
leaves and fruit, which made them nasty to handle and every fruit had
to be washed before eating and I didn't like it on my hands. The
blight still arrived!
I grow them on my allotment and everyone suffers the same.
Blight usually comes in August, or after a dry period when the rain
comes, and the rain brings the blight.
I have heard that if you can make a polythene shelter over the outdoor
plants to keep the rain off, you may keep the blight off too.
That site looks useful. I got info from HDRA (now called Garden
Organic).
Good luck

Pam in Bristol


Thanks Pam.

I'm surprised that you had blight problems in 2006, because I recall that as
a very dry year. For me the blight arrived last year in mid-late June after
prolonged rainfall. We have had a lot of rain here in the last few days, and
it remains humid today, although the weather is a lot better now. How long
it may continue is anyone's guess. At least the damp weather does wonders
for most of the other crops in the garden!

John