Blight control?

[Jesse]

I am told that our allotments get very bad blight each year so I have been trying to find an alternative to Bordaux which I'd rather not use. I found this information and was wondering if anyone had tried this with any success.

"Compost and Manure Teas
Many people have success with manure tea keeping blight and other pathogens away from plant. Soak the area around plants and use as a foliar spray. Do not use on seedlings as it may encourage damping-off disease.
Fill a 30 gallon trash can with water. Let sit for 24 hours to evaporate the additives (use rain water if you can). Add about 4 shovels worth of manure to this and cover. Let it sit for  2-3 weeks, stirring once a day. Strain and apply as needed.

Various manures supply nutrients as follows:

Chicken manure: nitrogen rich: use for heavy feeders such as corn, tomatoes and squash.
Cow Manure: potash: use for root crops.
Rabbit manure: promotes strong leaves and stems.
Horse manure: leaf development.
Compost Tea: Make and use just the same as you would the manure tea. This is another terrific reason to compost all those prunings, grass clipping and kitchen wastes. Or you can use our HumAcid for a ready made foliar spray with all the goodness of compost!"

[Jesse]

[tim]

Cover with fleece??

[gavin]

Am I being cynical?

Many people have success with manure tea keeping blight and other pathogens away from plant.

I think I'd like to have read "I have success ...", or "We have success ...".

Dunno - worth a go maybe, if only to test it out?  All best, Gavin.

[aquilegia]

Jesse - why not Bordeaux? I thought it was supposed to be organic???

[Jesse]

I thought if contained Copper Sulphate which is not organic and something I do not wish to use if possible. If there is no other alternative and my potatoes get blight then I may reconsider.

[Merry Tiller]

It's way too late when the spuds & toms are showing symptoms to do anything about it, I lost most of my tomato crop last year so I shall be following Bob Flowerdew's advice and use polythene to keep the rain off