Pestilence abounds

What a year it has been so far! I know I love the subject of plant pests & diseases - but only to help other gardeners get the best out of their gardens. I get as annoyed as the next person when plants that have had lots of TLC, suddenly go down with a nasty problem. I always make sure I inspect my plants on a regular basis for signs of attack - usually for 10 minutes or so after work, and usually with a glass of wine or beer in hand!

I've already mentioned an attack of the horribly destructive vine weevil (that seems to have gone away now, but I'm still vigilant), but the damp weather has certainly encouraged others to the fore. After coming back from the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park I noticed that some of the outdoor tomatoes had been hit by blight. Some of the beef tomatoes in the greenhouse had also started the tell-tale signs. Now I know how the Irish felt when the potato famine hit! Tomato and potato blight is an incredibly destructive disease and when the weather conditions are right (warm and humid as they have been recently) it spreads rapidly. In all the years I've grown these crops I've never been struck by blight. With my heart pounding and panic beginning to strike there was nothing for it but to reach for the penknife and the sprayer. I started by removing all the badly affected leaves and then following up with a quick spray of Dithane. I don't like using chemicals if I can help it - but I certainly don't like having to dig up and throw away diseased plants. So far, the disease is now holding back, but I have had to strip off quite a few of the lower leaves.

Some of the potatoes were beginning to show early signs of blight too, but I've now cut down all the stems to ground level and destroyed them. As long as the blight spores don't reach the tubers, they'll be fine. I've lifted a few - and they looked and tasted fine!

Us gardeners have to learn that there is always something round the corner desperate to have a go at our plants - and be vigilant and deal with anything that comes along. But I do feel sorry for anyone that has just started out in gardening and is having some of the same problems as I have. The rise in popularity of growing your own veg is a case in point; imagine growing your first ever crop of tomatoes this year, only to see the whole plant wither up and die.

Keep sane, keep in control - and keep gardening!