Author Topic: Blight in Greenhouse  (Read 4141 times)

cambourne7

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Blight in Greenhouse
« on: September 24, 2017, 16:06:16 »
Hi all,

Spent most of morning ripping out my tomato plants as i have spotted blight. the question is do i need to remove the soil ?

cam

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2017, 16:12:51 »
The short answer is No.

Was it blight, at this time of year I find Botrytis is more likely?

cambourne7

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Tee Gee

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #3 on: September 24, 2017, 17:07:16 »
If that is how your fruit looked then your plants were affected by blight!

Regarding your soil this can depend!

One Question:

Do you always grow your tomatoes in the same bed every year?

The pundits will say:

Avoid planting out in the same bed as last year, if this proves impractical, remove the soil at least 300mm (1ft) deep from the bed and replace with new.

Personally I have never remove my soil but then again I have three greenhouses so I practice a rotation system so that my Tomatoes are never grown in the same bed in successive years.

If you only have one greenhouse then you can rotate by growing tomatoes in one side of the greenhouse one year and on the other side the next year.

If this is impractical you could use 'Growbags or Ring Culture one year and beds the next and this although not ideal, can alleviate the problem. However the roots will still penetrate the existing soil but not to the same extent as directly planting into the soil.

The other thing is and this is the difficult one! Blight is transferred by spores so these can be sitting in any cracks inside the greenhouse and not necessarily the soil. For example in the bolt slot you have with alloy greenhouses.

Washing down the inside the greenhouse at the end of the season with a tar oil based wash (Jeyes) is another option.

Then again the spores can blow in from your neighbours garden choose what you do!

I hope these options help!

cambourne7

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2017, 18:27:33 »
Hi

This was the 1st year growing them in the greenhouse.

There planted in gro-bags (https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/greenhouse-gro-beds-x3-pid4289.html) filled with a mix of fen black and mushroom compost.

I planted far 2 many plants together and did not thin nearly enough which meant that the area as i now understand was ripe for blight :( i also watered from the top splashing water on the fruit :(

Learnt loads unfortunatly :)

I am planting tomatoes in 2 unused and covered beds next year so will ask gardener if he can wash the inside for me later in year. The existing beds will be onions (seed being sown this week).

Dont laugh but i have an old hoover and do give the greenhouse a going over occasionally so thats what i will be doing tomorrow and then will get a weak bleach solution and wash down the floor for now..

Cam




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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2017, 18:47:02 »
Quote
Learnt loads unfortunatly :)

Not unfortunate at all I am still learning and I have been at it for over forty years.

The main things is you seem to realise where you have  gone wrong and that is the main thing now you can do something about it.



BTW A picture of you set up would be helpful  as I can't picture these bags in a greenhouse and to be quite honest I think the shape lends themselves to be over filled.

Could you take a picture before you clear it out at the end of the season then we can all put our tuppence worth in and try and help you out for next year.

cambourne7

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #6 on: September 24, 2017, 18:57:39 »
Unfortunatly have just emptied them but your right they do lend themselves to it and there was between 9 and 12 plants in each planter and whilst were gardeners delight there was some beefsteak types and some plum and baby plum so all needed different requirements. I am going to try something different next year and look at some ways to water rather than throwing a watering can of water in.

Tee Gee

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #7 on: September 24, 2017, 19:13:03 »


This is how I overcome the watering problem you describe. These pots are bottomless  half liter cartons although a 5" or 6" plant pot will do the same thing.

When I water I pour the water into these until they overflow and this looks after the bottom water roots  and the top feeding roots.

If I am feeding I water first as described before but I follow this up by adding more  water to  the surface of the soil around the plants.

OK you do not have beds but  do the same if I am using the ring culture method



I hope this helps!

cambourne7

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #8 on: September 24, 2017, 19:56:40 »
HI

Really helpful thanks, i did have pots in next to the plants but after a while could not see them any more hahaha.
Was looking at the Garland Plant Halos as this might help with watering as well. Love the idea of your ring culture pots what diamater would they be?

Cam

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #9 on: September 24, 2017, 20:35:09 »

johhnyco15

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #10 on: September 24, 2017, 21:28:47 »
sometimes it is the watering that gives greenhouse toms blight as spores are in rain water if the leaves are wetted with water from collected water ie from a water butt these spores will spring to life in a nice warm humid greenhouse so my advice is never wet foliage and try to use tap water instead of harvested water hope this helps
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

cambourne7

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2017, 21:41:09 »
yes 90% of the time its been rain water that i have used and yes the leaves are wet and the greenhouse has been humid.

Just weighed up my tomatoes after washing to make sure the spores are gone and there are 10KG of green tomatoes and just over 1KG of red so i may have done at least someething right :)

johhnyco15

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2017, 21:48:17 »
so yes i think that was your problem at least you will know next season and  still be eating tomato chutney as you watch them grow lol :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

pumkinlover

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #13 on: September 25, 2017, 08:11:54 »
I use rain water but water a lot less than most people and cut off the lower leaves.

cambourne7

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Re: Blight in Greenhouse
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2017, 22:42:42 »
Thanks everyone for your advice gardener is going to wash down the inside of the greenhouse for me in Feb as he cant do much else and its quiet for him then and i have offered to over winter some of his plants for him :) we made chutney and i have just over a kilo left to use up :) xx

 

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