I think it counts as both a pest and a disease....I've just had my first Hutton Alert of the season (DE 72 postcode) I think that's as early as I've ever had one, nothing to be done except watch and wait I suppose.
Torbay - have had three so far, first one on 31 May!!
Tricia :wave:
Here in S. Wales we've had 4. First one 31st May.
It's definitely sphincter twitching time for the spuds and the outdoor tomatoes that were absolutely amazing again last year!
I've jinxed it, last year I gave away all my outdoor toms to newbies on the site, and they had wonderful crops and I had none, this year I decided to risk it again....
none so far here on the sunshine coast
We have blight on our site already. My old farmer mate got it on his Maris Pipers..
The blight prediction criteria for a blight warning has been reduced from 11 hours of high humidity to 6 hours of high humidity over 2 consecutive days (+ Temp over 10c). They claim this predicts a greater % of blight outbreaks. But of course by deduction it will also give more false alarms. So more predictions of blight, more coreect predictions, more false alarms.
Yesterday's blight alert prompted me to check carefully. Sure enough, some telltale spots and edges on the Pentland Javelin - no sign on the Charlottes. By this morning, the PJ's were wilting and looking very sick, and the Charlottes were spotting. Emergency lift time! I'm very glad I didn't put my surplus tomatoes out in the garden this year....
A couple of my first, first earlies (red Dukes) are looking sad.. hoping they are just dieing back, will know by Wednesday though!