No more Smith Periods

So, basically, the "perfect conditions" don't have to be present for so long. Bound to increase the warnings of doom and gloom. LOL
I've given up on the blight warning thing. The only warning I get is the leaves on my potatoes, or maybe those a few plots up the hill. I view the appearance of blanket blight as the end of the useful growing season for potatoes.

The best blight defence for us allotmenteers is to plant as early as possible, have covers available, and take a bit of frost on the chin. It works for me almost every year. Warming up the soil is where it's at. The problems for farmers are quite different and most of them spray in any case, which most of us plotters don't. Planting in a suitably controlled polytunnel for small maincrop potato crops might be a way around the issue.
Tomatoes are of course quite a different thing, and the ongoing crimson crush hopes are where it's at for outside plants.

Perhaps this is a good time to remind everyone to dig out any volunteers from last years potato patch and destroy any potatoes growing in compost heaps. These can carry over blight from last year and start an epidemic.