[Enfield Glen]

Last year I grew Tomatoes over the allotment for the first time in a long while, all doing fine and then over one weekend they were hit by blight.
I know its air borne and I have some old plastic roofing that I used last year to protect them a bit, only up to 3ft, see attached
I really want to grow them again and wondered if anyone out there had any advice on protecting them or any suggestions on on what I can try with the resources I have, I have some Enviromesh if that helps.

[mumofstig]

IMO the cover needs to go over the top, rather than around the sides. I think most of the spores fall down onto plants. I've had some success in the past, putting hoops over the top (like you do for tall brassicas) with plastic over that - means you can't easily cover the tall tomato varieties, though.

[jambop]

Blight spores arrive in rain droplets and land on the leaves. If conditions are right the germinate and grow rapidly. I have a method and it is use by many other gardeners in France. The plants are sprayed every other week, if there is a lot of rain about, with Bordeaux mixture. I have never had any problem with blight since I adopted that routine. 

[mumofstig]

You may choose to spray with Bordeaux mix, but it is a banned substance, so please don't recommend it on the forum.

[Aunt Sally]

Bordeaux mixture is banned because it is extremely toxic to humans, animals and especially fish.

Here is the RHS list of banned and permitted chemicals:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=820

[jaydig3]

Grow some of the blight resistant strains now available.  There are one or two different ones, and I have had great crops without the need to cover or spray. 

[Growster...]

We use an old idea which is soluble aspirin sprayed on the plants before any warnings.

Willow twigs/chips can also help, and what could be greener than that! Aspirin is related to willow, and all the chemists here will remind me how, I'm sure!

[jambop]

Bordeaux mixture is banned because it is extremely toxic to humans, animals and especially fish.

Here is the RHS list of banned and permitted chemicals:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=820

With due respect that bolded and underlined is tripe anybody who drinks wine ingests it.

[Yorkie]

Jambop, it is self-evident that the two things are completely different. 

You have recommended a solution that is illegal in the UK and it would be wholly irresponsible of us not to point this out to our members.  Please don't disrespect other forum members for doing the responsible thing.

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

For a while I gave up growing tomatoes on the plot as they got blight but generally was successful growing them at home in pots on the patio. My conclusion was that the allotment was quite a challenging environment due to infected neighbouring potato and tomato plants so would succumb more easily whereas the garden was a bit more protected and took longer for the blight to take hold. Personally I can also keep a closer eye on them at home than on the plot.

In recent years I've grown the blight resistant variety Crimson Crush on the allotment with reasonable success and this year am adding Skykomish. My non blight resistant varieties will be grown at home again.

Good luck with your endeavours.

[Aunt Sally]

I agree PPL.  I always grow my toms at home in pots and never suffer with blight.

[jambop]

I agree PPL.  I always grow my toms at home in pots and never suffer with blight.

I can see the advantage of that ... but try growing thirty plants in pots at home

[Aunt Sally]

I could feed the village with 30 plants.  A dozen is enough for Worzel and me to make sauces for the rest if the year.

[Growster...]

Ahem, we're planning for 51 plants at home, just to be on the safe side...

Problem really is, that we promised family and friends lots of plants each, but may not be able to get them to their homes in time...

So they'll have to put up with a trugload of toms every now and then, won't they!

:0)

ps - all in pots either in GH or on trays near the house...

[Aunt Sally]

Mr G ... do you live at Planet Thanet ?