BB, not in the slightest. It was a fair point. Not everyone grows in an ideal world. I'm lucky that I've been able to for a long time, first in Oz, now in Italy. The drawback in Sydney was the stinking humidity, fungal heaven; here in Italy it's the uninterrupted fortnights of 40C+. It can fry the flowers on the plants. But I count my tomato blessings.
Spacing is only one of the anti-fungal measures, that's all. Part of the package.
Scrubbing out is always a good idea for a lot of reasons. I think it's your ventilation, though, and the breeze in particular, that helps you. But be vigilant, ever vigilant. As I'm sure you are.
windowgardener, covering them like that is all right on a short-term basis in case of, say, sudden cold snaps. It's not healthy in the longer term for the reason that bothers you. Trapped humid air is the enemy.
The common ones manifest as spots on the leaves that gradually enlarge. I've got a link on my HD somewhere to a good explanation with photos. I'll find it and post it.
BB, not in the slightest. It was a fair point. Not everyone grows in an ideal world. I'm lucky that I've been able to for a long time, first in Oz, now in Italy. The drawback in Sydney was the stinking humidity, fungal heaven; here in Italy it's the uninterrupted fortnights of 40C+. It can fry the flowers on the plants. But I count my tomato blessings.
Spacing is only one of the anti-fungal measures, that's all. Part of the package.
Scrubbing out is always a good idea for a lot of reasons. I think it's your ventilation, though, and the breeze in particular, that helps you. But be vigilant, ever vigilant. As I'm sure you are.
I'm always in the GH pottering, mind with the weather this last few days, it's nearly at the point where you can pass out!! I know what you mean about fortnights of 40, my parents live on Malta, so we get that and usually a breeze. It's hell on the leaves, even with heavy duty shading we finally admitted defeat, we grow to crop now from march - june, and then sep-late october (wind is usually up though). We grow outside, my folks rent a small plot on a field close by, we also grow lettuce and cherry toms on the roof of the apartment block. It's odd getting your head around essentially having 2 growing seasons, and adjusting sowing etc accordingly.
BB, you know all about growing in the heat then. Not much breeze here when it heats up, unfortunately. Just still, baking heat. The only saving grace is that it's pretty clear heat.
In Sydney, while not usually as hot in terms of numbers, the oppressive humidity was the killer. The saving grace, though, was that I could grow toms for about nine months a year. I used to grow Brandywine Sudduth as a purely autumn crop, after the worst of the humidity had passed. It won't set fruit in heat and humidity.
I shall now type something that just goes to show, you may stop lots of stuff with great ventilation, but dryness encourages OTHER beasties. I planted a peach to train as a fan on my southern end of the GH last year. Good old thompson & morgan firstly sent me one with very few laterals on the bottom 2 foot of the plant, after I moaned, they refunded me, but I still planted and am attempting to slowly bend the branches down.
Now last year, I grew loads of toms, took a while to ripen but the GH was packed. The peach developed quite a nasty outbreak of red spider, no other plants affected thankfully. This leads me to believe T&M provided me a plant already infested, as if it had come through the ventilation it would have been hitting toms first. I kept spraying the peach with misted water several times a day, then used some form of bug killer after the toms had finished, I then used a pest candle end of the year, then after cleaning the gh this year used another candle. This morning I found webbing on the growing tips, it's back. Just ordered Phytosieulus persimilis, and a follow up for 2 weeks later, hoping this will clear it up.
So just to let all those gardeners out there thinking I'm getting it easy, I'm not!!! RSM is a REAL pain to get rid of, but I shall perservere. I shall put a thread on the problems forum, and TRY to keep it updated with my findings.
I'm so sorry for you Brummie B, I do hope you manage to get rid of this pest; I'm spraying the G/H with water everytime I walk past as I really don't want it.
Posts
BB, not in the slightest. It was a fair point. Not everyone grows in an ideal world. I'm lucky that I've been able to for a long time, first in Oz, now in Italy. The drawback in Sydney was the stinking humidity, fungal heaven; here in Italy it's the uninterrupted fortnights of 40C+. It can fry the flowers on the plants. But I count my tomato blessings.
Spacing is only one of the anti-fungal measures, that's all. Part of the package.
Scrubbing out is always a good idea for a lot of reasons. I think it's your ventilation, though, and the breeze in particular, that helps you. But be vigilant, ever vigilant. As I'm sure you are.
windowgardener, covering them like that is all right on a short-term basis in case of, say, sudden cold snaps. It's not healthy in the longer term for the reason that bothers you. Trapped humid air is the enemy.
oh noo, i will take their covers off when i get home!
how do i know if i have fungal infections and what would i do??
appreciate all the help!!
The common ones manifest as spots on the leaves that gradually enlarge. I've got a link on my HD somewhere to a good explanation with photos. I'll find it and post it.
I'm always in the GH pottering, mind with the weather this last few days, it's nearly at the point where you can pass out!! I know what you mean about fortnights of 40, my parents live on Malta, so we get that and usually a breeze. It's hell on the leaves, even with heavy duty shading we finally admitted defeat, we grow to crop now from march - june, and then sep-late october (wind is usually up though). We grow outside, my folks rent a small plot on a field close by, we also grow lettuce and cherry toms on the roof of the apartment block. It's odd getting your head around essentially having 2 growing seasons, and adjusting sowing etc accordingly.
BB, you know all about growing in the heat then. Not much breeze here when it heats up, unfortunately. Just still, baking heat. The only saving grace is that it's pretty clear heat.
In Sydney, while not usually as hot in terms of numbers, the oppressive humidity was the killer. The saving grace, though, was that I could grow toms for about nine months a year. I used to grow Brandywine Sudduth as a purely autumn crop, after the worst of the humidity had passed. It won't set fruit in heat and humidity.
I shall now type something that just goes to show, you may stop lots of stuff with great ventilation, but dryness encourages OTHER beasties. I planted a peach to train as a fan on my southern end of the GH last year. Good old thompson & morgan firstly sent me one with very few laterals on the bottom 2 foot of the plant, after I moaned, they refunded me, but I still planted and am attempting to slowly bend the branches down.
Now last year, I grew loads of toms, took a while to ripen but the GH was packed. The peach developed quite a nasty outbreak of red spider, no other plants affected thankfully. This leads me to believe T&M provided me a plant already infested, as if it had come through the ventilation it would have been hitting toms first. I kept spraying the peach with misted water several times a day, then used some form of bug killer after the toms had finished, I then used a pest candle end of the year, then after cleaning the gh this year used another candle. This morning I found webbing on the growing tips, it's back. Just ordered Phytosieulus persimilis, and a follow up for 2 weeks later, hoping this will clear it up.
So just to let all those gardeners out there thinking I'm getting it easy, I'm not!!! RSM is a REAL pain to get rid of, but I shall perservere. I shall put a thread on the problems forum, and TRY to keep it updated with my findings.
I'm so sorry for you Brummie B, I do hope you manage to get rid of this pest; I'm spraying the G/H with water everytime I walk past as I really don't want it.