Message Forums

Quote: Originally posted by Tigermouse on 02/3/2009

---

Does anyone have a cure for potato blight?

---

Buying clean seed potatoes from a good supplier every year.

Buy blight resistant varieties.

Cutting down the plants at the first signs of blight and burning them. Don't compost them!

Lifting the crop asap.

Being totally fanatical about lifting even the peanut sized tubers.

Good crop rotation!

I don't go in for chemicals but bordeaux mixture is just about tolerable for organic gardeners. But good crop hygiene will get you a long way.

Quote: Originally posted by Tigermouse on 02/3/2009

---

Also what would anyone recommend as a growing aid? The allotments there get free horse manure from the stables next door but it's not really much good (a) because it's too fresh and (b) it's full of grass seed etc which obviously grows weeds. OH could get a trailer load of slurry from the farm where we keep our tractors but if he spread that on the allotment I don't think he'd be very popular with the neighbours!

---

Free manure, lovely. Stack it for a year under cover and it will be perfect.

And make compost. I have three bins made of pallets ie three cubic meteres. I can easily fill two bins a year. It goes a long way. I also have two leaf mould bins and a wormery, plus manure and seaweed when I can get it.

I have nearly finished my chicken run and should be looking at chooks within the next week or so.

once I have finished getting all my seeds in the greenhouse and sorted out the plot I will get some pics on the website.

I have just used a long length of guttering to sow my peas in and hung it in the roof space of the green house so the mice cant get at em, then when they are ready I dig the furrow in the box and gently slide the full row of peas into the ground. works a treat to.

Quote: Originally posted by NB101 on 12/3/2009

---

Just got my first allotment today - hurray!! I've been waiting a couple of years for one behind my house and have just come to the top of the list. It's a half plot on a small site and I'm so excited I can't wait to start digging!! My kids (girls 6 and 3) are excited too.

Any good book recommendations?

Nicola x

---

The Hessayon "Expert" guide to veg growing is a must. It's cheap, availible in most garden centes and it gives all the sowing and harvesting times, soacing info, planting depths etc for all the common vegetables.

best of luck with your new plot Nicola

you will soon be enjoying all those wonderful veggies fresh from the patch.