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Graney · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 81 Location: East Clare

That's exactly my view Blowin.

I tend to use a few slug pellets to prevent total loss of young plants overnight - which can happen. Use them carefully and they should cause no problems to wildlife and no chemicals are absorbed by the crop plants.

And I use blight sprays - only when necessary and again to avoid 100% crop loss. That's what happened last year when I wasn't around to spray when it was needed.

Other than that I use nothing apart from fingers to pick off caterpillars and a good mix of crops to encourage natural enemies of the pests. And I have a degree of tolerance to holes, nibbles and a bit of rot here and there.

In the end the veg I produce has got to be a lot healthier than from the supermarket, but I haven't had to wear a hair shirt to produce it.

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

The blight has got to some of the tubers and what a stinking mass they are. So next year I will spray Sad

. I guess I should not plant next years crop near this years spud bed which I would not do anyway, but is one year long enough to clear the spores from the bed> I am told that the Min of ag or some such boddies gives out blight warnings. Can any of you guys tell me where I might get such warnings?

Cheers.
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quarryman · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 417 Location: Sligo

The weather forecast on the Irish news will give Blight warnings. The Met service will also do this www.met.ie

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

Cheers for that Quarryman. Very Happy

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blowin · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 11:49 pm Post subject:

A lot of ours have suddenly gone mushy too . Sad

The King Edwards went some time before the Desiree . Don't know why .

What is the logic behind leaving them in the ground for a couple of weeks after the infected stalks have been cut off ? Would it not be better to dig , wash and dry the spuds as soon as you see blight up on the leaves ?