Blight Strikes

We almost got away with it for the third year running but no, we have finally been struck by late blight at the allotments. With all the recent humid weather it was really only a matter of time.

Luckily, for most people the majority of our potato plants had already died off naturally, with only a few needing attention. The tomatoes have been badly hit however, and with the harvest just getting under way this is a big blow. The only thing to do is shrug it off and some of us are already sowing winter lettuces to fill the gaps left in our greenhouses following the unplanned removal of rotted tomato plants.

Blight is an air-borne fungal disease so there is little to be done to prevent its spread. Planting resistant varieties is a good idea. You can also try picking off infected leaves each day and reducing overnight humidity by watering in the morning, which allows plants and soil to dry out during the daytime.