[ytyynycefn]

Hi, hope you can help!

I'm very new to veg growing, only got my very first allotment in April this year, so I'm making it up as I go along  

I've noticed a quite a bit of mildew on my peas, and a tiny bit on my squash plants - I'm trying to grow organically, so I'm not sure how to get rid of it.  It's not been a problem on the peas that have come to the end of their cropping, as I've just pulled them up and composted them; but I have a new stand of peas which were sown late and are just beginning to crop.  Is this the price I pay for trying to be clever and sowing them too late?  Or is there something I can do about it...  I've also got some rust on my broad beans - would Bordeaux mixture sort out both fungal attacks?  If so, where is a good place to get it from?

Thanks,

Melanie

[Judymac]

Hi Melanie,
Bordeaux mix or yarrow tea, will help, but you do need to remove infected leaves and burn/bin them first (do not put on compost heap).

Normally we spray the leaves every two weeks from the beginning of August to the end of September with Yarrow tea as a preventative.

Personally I think that Bordeaux mix may be needed in your case as the mildew already has a hold.

Good luck!

Judy

[John]

No better advice, but love your avatar !

[ytyynycefn]

Thank you!  He is one of my scarecrows, "Mr Robert", named by my three-year old son.  Currently failing to scare anything away from my cabbages, though  :? You can see him properly on my website, http://www.ytyynycefn.com/5.html together with his friend "Mouse" - they've become quite a talking point round our village...

[Judymac]

Ooops sorry Melanie, you asked where to get Bordeaux mix, well when we were in the UK we used to buy it in Woolworths, any garden centre or any good general hardware store.
If you are on an allotment site someone may give you some if you ask  

Rust on the broad beans, wow you still have broad beans? I dug mine up in June, or are these planted extra early for over-wintering?
Rust is another fungal problem, as before remove all infected leaves, water at the base of the plant - broad bean rust spores love water.

According to my HDRA encyclopedia, unlike mildew it will not kill your broad beans just make the plants look sick (If these were for over-wintering I would personally pull them up and start again, as the plants will be weakened by the infection)

I had to look that one up! Never had broad beans still going in August and therefore susceptible to rust, if I overwinter plants, I sow them at the end of August/beginning September, that tends to avoid the fungal problems.

Judy

PS The avatar is my wee doggie Alys, who we adopted from the SPA, she had been very badly treated, but has now learnt to trust humans again.

[Biscombe]

I get problems with mildew too! I spray crops like cucumber peas and melons early with  organic copper sulphate which helps, but I will give yarrow a go!

[Judymac]

Hi Biscombe,
Yarrow is the common name for two or three plants, you want Achillea Millefolium. Good handful of leaves, cover in a litre boiling water. Leave to cool, strain, finely spray your plants.
Also if you make comfrey or nettle tea fertiliser, add yarrow to that when you make it, then the plant will have a defense before the fungal spores attack, often you can get away without spraying leaves in that case.

Judy

[ytyynycefn]

I just planted some extra broad beans when I'd cleared the last bed of weeds on my new plot - together with some peas (dried ones from the corner shop), dwarf beans and sunflowers.  So there wasn't a specific plan in mind, I just don't know any better   I had some small pods off them today, which were very nice in a stir-fry, but I'm not expecting humungous amounts!  I'm very much learning as I go, and share my very small plot (of 3 allotments) with two blokes who know less than I do, so there's nobody to tell me I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing  

Melanie