July diary updated.

To say that this week is July it has been a disappointment and visits to the plot have more or less been to harvest in between showers. We have had lots of heavy rain which has pounded the soil. On our clay soil once the sun, (the shiny thing that is sometimes seen in the sky), dries the surface it can crack and become hard and lumpy. With this in mind I have spent lots of time hoeing the surface and turning the soil in areas where we have walked when harvesting.

There is no doubt that crops are growing well and enjoying the conditions far more than we are. The weeds as usual are also thriving. Weeding is more a case of damage limitation than clearance. As soon as a patch is cleared, up pop all the weeds again, at the moment they very much have the upper hand.

We have had some gaps in what the weathermen refer to as showers when we have managed to get out and do some work on the plot. The rain stayed off long enough for the grass paths to be mown which always improves the look of the plot.


The most excitement this week was centred on the brassica beds. We have always had problems in getting any decent curds on our cauliflower plants. This week we noticed curds beginning to develop in quite a few of the caulis so the leaves have been bent over to stop the curds from yellowing.

Click here for the whole diary entry

Minted Radish, Carrot and Onion Side Salad

For a different way to serve radishes click here

If you have any other ideas for seasonal vegetable or fruit recipes that you think would be good to share on my website email me the recipe and a photo.

It's the height of summer and pouring down!

The grass needs cutting on the plot but it is pouring down so time has been spent starting the July diary instead. No doubt the rain is doing lots of good work. It's just a pity that the weeds love it as well. All the work done at the weekend in removing weeds and the things will be germinating again.

It is as though the plot fairy has waved a magic wand this week, Everything seems to have shifted a gear and catapulted itself into growth. With very little space left in which to plant we are now very much weeders and gatherers.

And of course it has begun - the great courgette season and as usual any delicious recipes will be most welcome. If you have a recipe that you would like to share on the website then please email me with instruction and a photo of your dish. Any other yummy fruit or veggie recipes would also be welcome and if suitable will be included on the website here.

July's diary has started here

Watch out for blight!

Blight was responsible for the Irish potato famine and the period of starvation, disease and mass emigration that followed. It is the dread of anyone who grows potatoes or tomatoes - one minute you have healthy looking plants and promise of a good crop and then the next all the hard work and careful tending has come to nothing! When our allotment site was relatively derelict we rarely suffered from blight but now that the site is fully occupied this problem has increased in severity. Blight is a fungal disease whereby spores are spread by wind and rain. From June onwards is the period when potatoes and tomatoes are most likely to become affected.

The condition for spread of blight is known as a Smith period. This is a period of at least two consecutive days where the minimum temperature is at least 10ºC and on each day there are at least 11 hours when the relative humidity is greater than 90%. The potato council operates a blightwatch service click here. They have 300 blight scouts walking potato fields over the growing season and reporting on any sitings of blight. Blight regional maps are available for viewing on their website click here which show where blight has been sited. Watering potatoes or tomatoes in such a way that wets the foliage can artificially produce a Smith period.

Brown patches on leaves are the first signs that blight has affected your crops. The leaves will then curl up and wither. The problem can be that other potato/tomato problems may display similar symptoms. There are photos of blight affected potato and tomato plants here, here here and here. You can also buy a testing device to check for blight from here.

Blight can be a sneaky problem as it can lurk on seemingly perfect fruit or tubers. Tomatoes that appear unaffected can start to rot five days after they have been picked.

It's almost impossible to prevent blight but there are precautions that can be taken. Avoid planting potatoes and tomatoes in the same areas in two consecutive years as spores can be present in the soil. Leaving affected leaves and stems lying around can also increase the chances of passing the disease on. Earthing up can make it less likely that the spores will infect the potato tubers. Another alternative is to grow early varieties of potatoes that will mature before blight conditions prevail or to try some varieties that are supposed to have some degree of blight resistance. If anyone has any experience of varieties that have seemed to weather the blight storm please share your experiences by posting a comment.

A protective fungicide can be used but this needs to be applied before blight is apparent and spraying has to continue every 10 days after the first application.

If your potato plants do succumb to blight then remove and burn the affected foliage - it is possible that the spores may not have reached the potato tubers. After removal of the foliage leave the tubers in the ground for at least two weeks. During this period spores on the surface will hopefully be killed and lifted potatoes may avoid being infected. Once lifted you will need to keep checking the tubers for signs of blight and dispose of any that become mushy or have dark patches on the skin.

Tomatoes grown in greenhouses are afforded a little protection from wind borne spores, however if spores do enter the greenhouse the disease will thrive in the warm humid conditions. It is also extremely likely that tomatoes will be grown in a greenhouse year after year and so any spores remaining in the soil may be more likely to spread the disease from one year to the next. Removing the bottom leaves of tomato plants can help in that plants can be watered directly on the roots thus avoiding any splashing onto the leaves.

After today's rain, I guess for now it is just a matter of sitting tight and keeping everything crossed.

Potato Council quick reference for disease, disorders and pests that affect potatoes.

June's diary is now complete!

It's hard to believe but by the end of this week we will be into July!

The focus on the plot this week has turned from planting and sowing to harvesting and caring for the growing plants. It’s been a week where the mornings have threatened rain which has never come as the afternoons have been very warm with outbreaks of sunshine. This has meant plenty of exercise watering thirsty plants.

Click here for this week's diary entry - the final one for June!

Your plot could feature on my website too!

Plotters are always interested in seeing how other people tackle their plots - whether they be brand new or well established.

If you garden a plot on Green Lane Allotments site and would like photographs of your plot to feature on this page, either send me the photos direct or why not create your own Bubbleshare album and send me the code. If you don't know how to do this see me on site. If you like you can send me some text to accompany your photos too. Click here to create a Bubbleshare account.

If you have a plot or grow elsewhere then you may like to join those who have already sent photos click here to view.

June diary is updated

Excitement this week as the kiwi flowered for the first time. Maybe the degree of excitement was excessive taking into account that there were only five buds on the two plants and so far only three had actually opened. The chance of any fruit is very unlikely but it is a step in the right direction and who knows – next year the plants may be dripping with flowers!

We are now really beginning to reap what we have sown and harvesting is now as much a feature of our week as the planting and weeding.

Click here for last week's full diary entry

Life after aminopyralid?

It may be helpful for new victims of manure contamination to know what the situation is for those who suffered from this problem last year. I have emailed where possible victims who made contact with me last year and asked for an update. Click here to read the comments of those who have responded so far. More will be added as they come in. Even if you didn't make contact last year but had a problem with suspected herbicide damage then please feel free to contact me with information on how you are faring this year.

Also please continue to make contact if you are affected this year or if any of your plants (especially potatoes) seem to be suffering from hormonal herbicide contamination in spite of having had no contact with manure.

Could mushrooms remove contamination from soil?

Dylan from Farnley in Leeds emailed to say that he is yet another 2009 victim of contaminated manure. He has read an article on this website. Scroll down to the section on Mycoremediation. This seems to suggest that growing mushrooms can help decontaminate the soil. Has anyone any thoughts on whether this idea could be used by those who have fallen foul of hormonal herbicide problems? Anyone tried it? Please share your thoughts by posting a comment.

June diary has been updated

The highlight of this week just has to be the strawberries. We have gorged ourselves on them and even given some away. We have managed to pick about 12 punnets - the cartons that the supermarkets use for peaches etc. It is just such a shame that the berries don’t freeze well so there is just nothing else for it than to eat them or jam them which seems such a waste. The trick is to avoid succumbing to the desire to pick the berries as soon as the first flush of red is shown. Often the sunny side up ripens before the underside and to pick the berries too early means the flavour hasn’t fully developed. We did this with our first pickings. A fully ripe berry picked with the warmth of the sun still on its back is just too delicious for words!! The trouble is that it isn’t just us who can’t resist. Although our strawberries are well netted, we arrived at the plot one afternoon to see a magpie flying off with one of our choice berries dangling from its beak!

To read the whole diary entry click here