[madcat]

Can I have a rant please? 

I have been biting my tongue all morning and I have to say something or I will explode - and I know you lot will sympathise! Please?  Might not be entirely fair but !!!!*!@@*!

My next door neighbour on the allotments does things as his dad did when he was a boy - and since he is 65 plus - we are taking about the allotment practises of many decades ago.  And they are an Irish family, therefore he assumes dad was the all-time potato expert.  Got the picture? 

Last year we all got blight in June - toms, pots, the lot.  Okay, it was a lousy year and these things happen.  Most cleared up, had bonfires with the haulms and tomato plants and tried not to spread the spores.  Not him.  He left the haulms on the surface of the plot until he dug them in for the winter.  Surprise!  Who goes down with blight this year?  Yup.  Who does he blame?  The people who grow tomatoes on their allotments - they bring the blight in.  Tomatoes shouldnt be allowed on allotments ... my dad never had this problem and they never allowed tomatoes ....

And whose crops are also suffering?  Yup - his neighbours - particularly the one downwind of him.  Me.  Growing tomatoes and potatoes .... Spraying against the odds.  And almost inevitably going to lose the lot.

PS what has he done with the haulms this year/  Exactly the same as last ....

[barbarella]

You have my sincere sympathy.  I have recently been elected onto the committee of local allotment society and I think I will suggest to the chairman that members look out for signs of blight on their own and other plots and speak to people affected to make sure they know about the correct disposal of affected plants and plot hygiene generally.  Obviously that wouldn't work with your guy, but lots of people might be unaware, particularly newbies.

I have been on a learning curve myself since I made the original post and am very grateful for the advice received.  I am now registered on www.blightwatch.co.uk and they have a very useful .pdf file on their website which includes clear photos  of affected plants and potatoes.