I now have to accept that 99% of my Tomato plants at Haddock's are dying, so there was only one thing to do.
I've managed to find half a dozen lacklustre plants (Beefsteak), dug some holes as far away from Haddock's as possible and mixed in plenty of good compost; I'm now in the process of crossing fingers, stroking Rabbit's feet, and beseeching St Fiacre, that they grow disease free.
I am sure they will, and I will watch them like a Hawk. I've even put a small wire fence around them in case of visiting Badgers or Deer.
Their planting is a bit late, but Tomato plants have a wonderful way of 'catching-up', and I'm hoping they'll be fruiting through Summer just like everyone else's.
Dreadful photo... another to follow in a few weeks time; I'm sure.
35 comments:
Good luck this time. The photo is nicely composed. My brain prefers the lead in to be from right to left but it is but a click of the mouse to sort that out.
If I'd taken it from the other side, the sun would probably have been too strong. I was also standing amongst brambles!
I would flip the image horizontally. Don't do it if you have text in the image otherwise you will have mirror writing and folk will laugh.
I hope the compost is o.k. if it was something in the soil.
This was bought compost; I can't trust my own with Tomatoes. Haddock's is fine with all my other vegs, but the soil must be really badly affected by Mildew.
I don't seem to have that capability on my photo processing programme (Picasa 3).
I remember the juicy tomatoes from my garden - here in Berlin, even if I buy the "Bio"-varieties, they were grown in hothouses (I do understand why - rain can be a disaster for their leaves, mildew) - so: even they "taste" in a way like "plastic". I wish you luck this time!
Give this a whirl;
Double-clicking an image will open it in an editing window, but you can flip one or more photos without leaving the library view. Hold the "Ctrl" key and click any photos located in the same folder. Press "Ctrl-Shift-H" to flip the selected images horizontally or press "Ctrl-Shift-V" to flip them vertically.
I don't think Picasa is supported anymore but if it still works then I would keep using it.
It's the one crop that is always eagerly awaited. Shop bought Tomatoes are 99.9% grown in huge hot houses and have no flavour. Those first sun-kissed, home-grown, fruits are wonderful. Even the smell of the leaves is good.
Thanks, I'll try that.
Not desperation Cro. Commonsense, at last...
Alphie
We live and learn. I should have known better. I've just taken all the diseased plants out; they're now in the incinerator.
Talking of smell, Cro: Here you can buy tomatoes "on the vine" in any supermarket . The smell of the vine indeed intoxicating.
To be fair to shop bought ones: You can buy theeeeeeeeee most amazing tomatoes (in varying colours even) - if at an eyewatering PRICE. And if you go to an English "Farmers' Market" top up your mortgage a bit and you will be in tomato heaven.
U
Well, Adrian, it's nice to know what YOUR brain prefers. And taking pain over putting Cro on his path to please you.
I think the shot Cro took of his labours, casually, perfectly acceptable. You know: Nothing staged, just life as it happens.
U
Good. Now to see how the new tomato crop fares.
A.
Good luck. Perhaps you can create a new tonato bed for next year?
From now on I shall grow all my Tomatoes well away from Haddock's. It's just a matter of finding a permanent new location.
The variety of Tomatoes in our shops is huge; each is more exotic than the other. Sadly, most of them have no flavour. It's only when you taste real outdoor grown Toms that you get the true taste.
Cro stated that the photo is terrible. I suggested an improvement. Try it for yourself if you have the wit and wherewithal.
Cro, de-lurking to post this, which I saw on an online forum....
For those worried about blight search for 'blight + aspirin'. Have used this for the last 3 years on tomatoes and spuds and only had blight very late in the season.
It's basically a 1/4 of a 300g tablet per litre of water, sprayed on. Should have said soluble aspirin!
Hope it works Cro - must be soul-destroying getting the same disease in them every year.
New ground, new plants. It's got to be successful. Also a few spots from over here ftoo ftoo ftoo
You have enough of summer left to still plant. With luck, the weather won’t be too wet and your plants will grow and produce well for you.
I use only Burpee, Johnny’s, or Park’s seeds. The plants are beautiful when I put them in all the new soil in my raised beds. I always rotate crops. All that and I still get blight as I noticed last week. I used an organic fungicide and hope that will help. I did 16 plants so with just the numbers of plants, and even with the early blight, I should get enough fruit.
Someone suggested a mix of milk and water this morning. I'll soon be able to write a book with all the tips I'm getting. Aspirin is a new one; thanks.
Infuriating. I took them all out this morning, which was really frustrating.
I'm sure it'll be OK now, we'll simply be eating them a bit later than usual.
They may not fruit until the end of July, but that's OK. As long as we have plenty I'll be happy. For all my preserves I'll probably buy from the local tiny market.
A summer without decent tomatoes would be a sad affair. Good luck with the second crop!
That is so true; unimaginable!
Goodness. He's right (or is it left?).
Hope you get a good crop of tomatoes from them, I'm sure you will.
What a shame. The only tomato disease I had to deal with was tobacco moassic virus--and I was the smoker.
I'm pretty confident, and the soil where I've planted them looks very good.
Tomato Mildew is the only nasty disease that we gardeners have to worry about here; it's always been a pain, and now especially for me.
I haven't grown tomatoes for many years (several decades in fact) but I should have does this year using my conservatory. I used it as a dining room if I have more than 3 guests so it's not usually very convenient. This year there are no guests so I should have cottoned on earlier. However next year if all goes to plan I might have a polycarbonate tunnel. An ordinary polytunnel would not stand the 100+mph winds we get several times each winter.
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