Has it worked for you?

[thifasmom]

So much are losing their toms again this year and after losing mine in 2007 last years wind fall was all the more tastier.

so i'm wondering have those who gave this http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,51972.msg527814.html#msg527814 a go this year and who are surrounded with blight, have the experiment worked in your favour or have you still got a loss?

no blight so far in my area so i' not able to say whether its worked for me this year as yet.

[thifasmom]

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's a question I'd like an answer to as well! All I can say is that greenhouse toms have it on my site.

[tonybloke]

how did it get in robert?

[Robert_Brenchley]

That's what I'm wondering. If the leaves got damp, either through watering or through condensation, that could explain it as the spores will have been in the air.

[GodfreyRob]

Mine in the greenhouse have it but not the ones outside ??? 

Luckily we have planted quite a few outside but they will be later to ripen I guess (better than nothing though).

[thifasmom]

hmm! nothing sure isn't written is stone when it comes to gardening eh!

[Garden Manager]

I read an article by Bob Flowerdew once in AG, suggesting a kind of football goal covered with plastic affair for keeping the worst of the rain off your outdoor tomatoes, yet still allowing good airflow. Was intrigued but never tried it, mainly because my toms are in a garden not an allotment or smallholding like his and i dont want my garden looking like a junkyard! I would rather take my chances with the weather, with good ol' bordeaux mixture as a back up if things look dicey.

I also think vigilance and good husbandry are also good weapons against blight. Well grown plants will resist blight longer and if you can spot the first signs of blight early enough it is possible to beat blight. Last year when i spotted the early signs on a couple of plants i immediately  'quarantined' them (moved them away from the others - thank goodness for pots), and sprayed as soon as possible. I didn't get blight on more than those 2 plants and ended up with a fantastic crop. Likewise this year I also spotted early signs and did the same thing (although i haven't sprayed yet). So far the rest haven t shown any signs. When we get a dryish spell i will spray.

Another thing i have started doing in the past couple of years is increase the number of plants grown under cover. In addition to the 7 plants i can fit in my greenhouse i also put 2 more in a mini green house  that i have on the patio for hardening off tender plants in the spring. It normally redundant at this time of year so it makes good use of it.

I hope some of this is helpful to someone out there.