Yellow and Sickly Leaves caused by Chlorosis
Four Week Flowers
<h4>You're browser does not support iFrames - here is an exerpt of the content</h4> <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mytinyplot/~3/dU6uxwFGNeE/">Click here to read the article in full</a> <p>><img src="http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tomatoes.jpg" alt="" title="tomatoes" width="440" height="293" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2340" /></p> <p>It’s about this time of year that I start to fuss and worry about blight on my Tomatoes. I’ve never really been able to relax since <a href="http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/pests/argghh-blighted-tomatoes/">The Year the Tomatoes Died</a>. So I thought I would re-publish this little article that I wrote last year for the Guardian Gardening blog. I will be doing all of this again this year, come rain or shine <img src='http://gardenersvoice.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p> <p>When I first starting <a title="vegetable gardening" href="http://gardenersvoice.com/category/vegetable-gardening/">vegetable gardening</a> in 2005 <a title="growing Tomatoes" href="http://gardenersvoice.com/category/growing-tomatoes/">growing Tomatoes</a> was a doddle, a breeze. Just bung in the plants, water them a bit, feed them a bit and ta-da! right on que at the end of August you’d be eating your own home-grown tommies.</p> <p>Not anymore. Over the last few years, our summers have been, well, disappointing. And if we’re deluged in rain again this year it means one thing; that <a title="growing outdoor Tomatoes" href="http://gardenersvoice.com/category/growing-outdoor-tomatoes/">growing outdoor Tomatoes</a> in the UK will be more of a battle with wind and rain in an effort to avoid the dreaded…gulp… blight.</p> <p>As most will know, Tomato blight is a nasty disease that starts with small brown patches on stalks and leaves but soon progresses to the fruits.</p> <p>If I had a greenhouse I’d take my Tomatoes under cover. But since I don’t have that option (and frankly the thought of ‘not’ growing Tomatoes makes me feel a little nauseous) then there’s only one thing for it – to fight.</p> <p>Here’s my plan.</p> <ol> <li>Grow (or buy) vigorous, healthy plants.</li> <li>Don’t plant Tomatoes in the same spot as last year.</li> <li>Plant disease-resistant varieties (Ferline, for example)</li> <li>Remove the bottom leaves up to the first truss of fruits to avoid splash back</li> <li>Remove and destroy all plant waste after the growing season</li> <li>Avoid watering on to the leaves. Water directly to the roots and don’t handle plants when the vines are wet.</li> <li>Control weeds in and around the plants. Weeds serve as hosts for insects and disease.</li> <li>Control pests (particularly aphids) which may transmit disease from plant to plant.</li> <li>Remove plants as soon as the tell-tale brown patches are seen. Wash hands and tools with a detergent after handling affected plants.</li> <li>Choose a sunny location and provide a removable rain cover if possible.</li> <li>Pray (or at least ask the rain gods to take pity on me).</li> </ol> <p>So there you have it my 10 – err 11 point plan. If anyone has any more suggestions then please post them in the comments. When fighting Mother Nature you need all the weapons you can get.</p> <p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mytinyplot/~4/dU6uxwFGNeE" height="1" width="1"/></p> <div style="display: none">VN:F [1.6.3_896]</div><div class="ratingblock"><div class="ratingblock "><div class="ratingheader ">Rate this Article</div><div class="ratingstars "><div id="article_rater_42111" class="ratepost gdsr-soft gdsr-size-24"><div class="starsbar gdsr-size-24"><div class="gdouter gdheight"><div id="gdr_vote_a42111" style="width: 0px;" class="gdinner gdheight"></div><div id="gdr_stars_a42111" class="gdsr_rating_as"><a id="gdsrX42111X5X0XaXarticle_rater_42111Xarticle_loader_42111X10X24" title="5 / 5" class="s5" rel="nofollow"></a><a id="gdsrX42111X4X0XaXarticle_rater_42111Xarticle_loader_42111X10X24" title="4 / 5" class="s4" rel="nofollow"></a><a id="gdsrX42111X3X0XaXarticle_rater_42111Xarticle_loader_42111X10X24" title="3 / 5" class="s3" rel="nofollow"></a><a id="gdsrX42111X2X0XaXarticle_rater_42111Xarticle_loader_42111X10X24" title="2 / 5" class="s2" rel="nofollow"></a><a id="gdsrX42111X1X0XaXarticle_rater_42111Xarticle_loader_42111X10X24" title="1 / 5" class="s1" rel="nofollow"></a></div></div></div></div><div id="article_loader_42111" style="display: none; width: 120px; " class="ratingloader article"><div class="loader flower " style="height: 24px"><div class="loaderinner" style="padding-top: 2px">please wait...</div></div></div></div><div class="ratingtext "><div id="gdr_text_a42111">Rating: 0.0/<strong>5</strong> (0 votes cast)</div></div></div></div>
