Josephine from Wilts - I agree! All hail happymarion. Have all your crops been devastated or just the tomatoes? I would think red spider mite sounds like a probably culprit, unless blight got into the greenhouse (but blight wouldn't affect chillies and salad leaves). Is there any evidence of a pest on the plants? Red spider mites, for example, create webs around the foliage, which becomes mottled. The mites and their eggs are tiny, so are easily missed.
Oh, dear, Josephine. Thank you for the complement, but i doubt the BBC want or need an 83(yes, I've had my birthday)year old employee. However, two minds are better than one and there might have been something nasty in your own compost unless you sterilised it. I've had a lovely crop of tomatoes in big pots, starting off in the conservatory and then taken outside, ut the may have to come in to escape the blight as Bristol is having hot, humid, weather. Do let us know if you find the culprit so we can all benefit - forewarned is forearmed. I'm going to Barrington Court for a birthday treat tomorrow so will let you know any tips I pick up there, as they are great on fruit an veg. which they grow for the restaurant.
I thought I would have a go at mini bell peppers this year. Started in March they are now in 9 inch pots which spend the cool days the mini greenhouse and sunny days on the patio. There are loads of peppers and some are red but they are not just mini they are miniscule! I'm using gro-bag compost and feeding with tomorite slightly less than the tomatoes. Does anyone know whether I should pinched some of them out? I've just let them do their own thing! Any ideas gratefully received!
Back from walking the dog just after 7am I have been in the greenhouses with a magnifying glass for over an hour. It is only tomatoes which had a problem - in fact the Gardeners Delight plants seem to be ok just very short of fruits It seems to be the Shirley and just the middlle of the stem which has suffered. I have dug them up and chopped them to disppose of safely - the middle section of the stem is brown,dry and hollow it almost looks as if no water has been able to get through? It also seems to be above where I had removed the lower leaves?? No sign of red spider mite or any other bugs. Everything else is flourishing if a little later than usual I have just given away 12inch Spaghetti Squash which was grown on my compost and all my veg boxes have the same good results
I was delighted to see that, even with all their acres and the largest walled kitchen garden i have ever seen, Barrington Court had shallots growing in containers. Very large decorative lead containers but containers never-the-less and such lovely shallots. It really is the most beautiful veg. garden, with a large cutting garden with lots of Zinnia "Fireworks Mixed" for the house and offices and lovely statues. I have never seen such a crop of white rasperries and we sampled them in the raspberry fool!
this year hasn't been the best growing year for me but I have a crop from everything in pots, haven't had enough sun though too get things to where they should be now, must say the blueberries are great and still cropping. and my little apple tree which is a bramley type apple is great, still the other things may pick up.
I decided to grow more in containers this year - dabbled last year and had better success. So this year I invested in a Hanging Basket Irrigation kit from Sprinkler-Irrigation.co.uk as you can use it in pots as well. Great help and advice - fantastic product has really paid dividends this year....
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Kate
I'm going to Barrington Court for a birthday treat tomorrow so will let you know any tips I pick up there, as they are great on fruit an veg. which they grow for the restaurant.