Allotments 4 All

---

I have not had blight before on my greenhouse tomatoes and not sure what blight looks like but lots of the leaves are going brown and sort of powdery the tomatoes are still ripening so I am not sure what to do I would be grateful for any guidance

---

OK- on a whim (I know- but it was a great offer ), I bought some dahlia, gladioli and oriental lily bulbs in an end of season sale.  Should I put them in now, or store for next year?  I'm gardening in the Pennines in Derbyshire.

---

Well I will hopefully be digging up the last of my second earlies today - weather permitting. Next its the maincrops. Usually I leave them until the haulms go brown then dig them up as soon as possible to avoid the slugs ruining them. The text book says September is the usual time for lifting maincrops but mine went in towards the end of April and many of the haulms are already going yellow or brown and collapsing.
Out of interest I Googled what other people do and there is quite a variation in opinion. Some follow my line, others say wait two weeks after they go brown then them dig up to allow the skins to harden. Another says cut the haulms down when yellow and wait 10 days again to allow hardening of the skins for better lifting and storage.
There is also one opinion that even when the haulms are dying down the nutriment from them feeds into the tubers helping them get bigger -so you shouldn't harvest until they have died down completely.

What do others do?

---

We have a good bed of onions, some reasonable sizes, and the tops are dying back. Would be thinking about digging them up soon and laying out in the sunshine to dry out. Usually put them under the lean-to woodshed if there's rain forecast. It's been cats and dogs all day here in Penicuik and lots more rain to come with very humid air even when it stops. Any tips on how to dry them off in a wet summer?.