On Fri, 4 Oct 2013 18:22:18 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:

JonH wrote
"David.WE.Roberts" wrote:

I'm seeing the first signs of blight.

A few dark patches on stems, a few marked leaves, a few marked tomatoes.

Mostly the tomatoes seem fine, there is still a large crop and they are
still ripening.

What is the best way to prolong cropping, and how long do you think I can
get away with it?


Bonfire NOW. I have read that the plants can be composted but not the
fruits. I'm not convinced. Anything from my plantation that looks
dodgey will be sent off site for destruction, ASAP.


I understood it was OK to compost all of the plant and the unripe fruit as
the spores can only survive on living tissue. What is important is that you
remove all infected potatoes from your plot which will harbour the spores
over winter.

Spores can survive on living fruit. That means the manky ones?

Yes, I'm working on the spuds. The buggers keep hiding from me, I've
got Volunteeers springing up left right and centre. Apart from those
early ones in bins in the greenhouse I've given up on spuds - for the
moment.

Next year maybe, when I've cleared another patch of Bindweed/Creeping
Cinqufoil/Whatever pernicious weed comes to mind I may take a
different view.

Regards
JonH