On Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:30:43 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

"Baz" wrote .

"Bob Hobden" wrote in

It means the weather conditions are (have been) such that Blight is a
possibility. It needs specific conditions to be able to attack plants.

Time to get the Bordeaux Mixture out yet our outdoor Toms are not even
flowering yet, what a dreadful year this has turned into, I've never
known growing conditions as bad as this with so many types of plants
just sulking.

Same here, though I have only been trying to grow veg for, I think 5 years.
This year is the worst by far leaps and bounds.
I think my Arran Pilot first early potatoes might be blighted. Some of them
are black and slimy. The others, International Kidney and Maris Peer(second
early) seem OK at the moment.
The outdoor tomatoes are like yours, sulking, not a flower in sight.
I wonder how much money I have spent on seed this year, time and time
again, not mentioning seed and potting compost, growmore, chicken manure
and the like.
Blackfly on my cherry trees and none on the broad beans? Goes against
everything I learned about growing fruit and veg.

Let us all have some luck next year.

Talking to a friend with 6 allotments(!) who has been growing veg for ever
in a very professional way he thinks it's not so much the cold but the lack
of light and sun this year, it has been dull. He also has plants sulking so
I don't feel quite so bad.
Our first early potatoes are good, we planted Amandine and Leontine this
year because we couldn't get any of the other ones we like, and are rather
impressed with the yield, flavour and size. All the other ones (Kestral,
Victoria, and Celine) are looking superb and healthy, nice thick hulms with
lots of flower so I will be annoyed if they get blight.
Like you, our cherry trees are also covered in blackfly on the young tips
despite being sprayed 3 times.
Whilst the money is a concern it's all the work put into the plot with
little yield that really ... annoys me.

I tried Bordeaux mixture one year on the allotment, before the blight.
It made such a mess on the plants and fruit, and they still got
blight. It's over 10 years now since I had a decent crop of tomatoes
on the allotment. Each year I say I'll have a tomato free year but I
try again. I'm giving up the allotment now, so it won't happen there
again for me.

Pam in Bristol