BLIGHT!

    The blight has finally struck! Chatting to fellow gardeners in France on Facebook blight has struck across the country. Seems that even commericial growers have been hit. Well, it has finally arrived in my garden. My tomatoes have been hit hard. I am finding the odd rotten potato as I have been lifting the main crop, Desiree. Not in over forty years of growing potatoes have I experienced blight in them. Just shows how weather conditions can affect things. The weather continues to be damp and cool. Where is the summer? According to the forecast it would seem next week might see things improving somewhat.

Blight affected tomatoes

Blight affected tomatoes

   As I mentioned above I have started to lift my main crop potatoes, variety Desiree. This season I have conducted an experiment. I have a bed that I have used this season to plant out Desiree seed potatoes with plenty of room between the seed potatoes. The idea being that given more room I should get bigger potatoes! Well I have to report that so far and I am about half way through lifting them from this plot that I can say that the experiment has been a success. I have larger potatoes and most definately a higher number of potatoes per plant. I have yet to weigh them but I am confident that it will a heavier crop than usual.

  More courgettes, more haricot vert! More than I can eat that is for sure! With this cooler wetter weather I am having great success with Great Lakes lettuce and I have transplanted another lot out. It is unusual to be able to do this at this time of year. It is usually too hot. Another crop that is doing well is my new strawberry bed. The plants are full of a second lot of flowers so I am expecting another lot.

   Chickens are being chickens and over this last week average egg production has dropped to two a day. Pretty poor really! I can only put it down to disturbance in the flock with the introduction of four young hens. Still, I would hope, egg laying can only get better! The chicks are growing fast and it will not be long and they will not be able to tuck up under Mum! I have had to remove one of the oldest chickens who was at the bottom of the pecking order as she is starting to suffer from harasement from the flock. Again I am sure the introduction of the new hens has not helped her. She is now seperated from the flock in her own coop.

Strawberry plot