Sucesses and Failures

[hopalong]

It's been a very good year overall so far. However, carrots have been slow to germinate. Brussels sprouts, sown in modules or coir pellets, have germinated much better than cabbages sown the same way. Main disappointment has been a diseased pear tree - leaves and fruit going black on some (not all) of the branches and no one can tell me what the problem is.

[hopalong]

[saddad]

fruit going black at this stage is usually pear midge... leaves as well possibly fireblight...  :-X

[hopalong]

fruit going black at this stage is usually pear midge... leaves as well possibly fireblight...  :-X

I feared it might be fireblight but the experts at my horticulture college (Capel Manor) say it's not. Anyway, I've cut off the affected branches as far down as I can, just in case and the wood does not seem to be stained. ???

[saddad]

I'd have done the same... cut it and burn it... :)

[jennym]

I feared it might be fireblight but the experts at my horticulture college (Capel Manor) say it's not. Anyway, I've cut off the affected branches as far down as I can, just in case and the wood does not seem to be stained. ???

Agree with saddad, probably pear midge or blister mite. Theres a lot of it about round here it seems. Next year, check the leaves weekly as soon as they emerge and carefully pick off any that have small blisters or black/brown dots, and dispose of them. It seems to go for the fresh tender leaves first, sometimes these look a little more reddish in colour when they first get affected. This year make sure that any dead leaves are cleared up from around the tree, they harbour problems.  Wonder which experts you spoke to at Capel? Tom Cole should know if he's still there :D

[susan1]

I have tried without success to start all my veg, cabbages leekes onions in them cardboardy type of pots in the greenhouse............what a waste of compost and seeds ........I will never use those pots again

[Robert_Brenchley]

Sweetcorn like warmth for germination. I put mine in the cupboard with the water heater, and they're up in a couple of days.

[Deb P]

I'm also on my second sweetcorn sowing......but only my tried and tested variety has failed! All the pink popcorn ones have germinated, but extra tender & sweet just sat there then rotted. Second sowing is in the airing cupboard now..... :-\

[hopalong]

I feared it might be fireblight but the experts at my horticulture college (Capel Manor) say it's not. Anyway, I've cut off the affected branches as far down as I can, just in case and the wood does not seem to be stained. ???

Wonder which experts you spoke to at Capel? Tom Cole should know if he's still there :D

Thanks Jenny and Saddad.  Jenny - I gave a piece of branch and some leaves to one of my tutors and she consulted the pest and disease experts for me (she didn't know what the problem was herself). Don't know their names.

This tree has had a hard time. Last year it had a bad attack of European Pear Rust (the orange blotches and growths on the leaves), as did others on our site.  We've advised everyone to cut out the tips of junipers where the spores over-winter, so we're hoping there'll be less of that this year.