[fatbelly]

Not blight , doesn't blight need a minimum of 10c throughout  a 24 hour period, we deffo haven't had that.

[mumofstig]

Quite right, which is why I was so quick to dismiss it 

Blight info here - explains Smith periods.
http://www.blightwatch.co.uk/content/bw-Smith.asp

[Beetroot queen]

Not blight , doesn't blight need a minimum of 10c throughout  a 24 hour period, we deffo haven't had that.

Ahhh see there is a bonus to the rubbish weather we have had. 

[itsallabouttheworms]

Just an update rather than starting a new post: the tomatoes are now getting black spots round the edges of some of the leaves. And my Early Orla potatoes all up and doing well yesterday, all have blackened leaves (not cold enough last night for frost as far as I was aware)...

Both the tomatoes and the potatoes have something in common though - this top soil mix from the farm I grow at: I used it to earth up my potatoes 2 weeks ago, and used it to fill my pots for my tomatoes 3 weeks ago.

Seems like there's a connection developing, eh? 

PA

[JayG]

Seems like there's a connection developing, eh? 

Possibly not - if your spuds developed blackened leaves literally overnight it's far more likely that it was caused by frost.

Obviously it would help if you knew the provenance of the soil you used and what it might have been sprayed with, which it sounds as if you may know something about. 

[Salmo]

Looked out here at 5.30 this morning to see a valley full of mist and the ground white with frost!!!

[itsallabouttheworms]

JayG - yeah, it would be nice to know exactly where the soil came from and what's in it, for sure. That's something I've learnt now - best to know exactly what your vegetables are sitting in! Difficult to get a proper answer on that one apart from that it's "very rich" 

Salmo - Oh! You're not so far from me, are you! That probably explains it then. Seemed alright when I woke up at 8 

Thanks to the both of you 

[mrsbean]

look in the growing FAQS section about AMINOPYRALID, if you,ve had soil/manure off the farmer it may be contaminated. the manure i had 4yrs ago is still showing signs of it, i used some for tomatoe plants same time as the ones i did in compost to test it, the ones in the manure mix were stunted  with curled leaves that did,nt open. just a suggestion.

[devonbarmygardener]

My toms have been in an unheated greenhouse since March. I open the door everyday regardless of the weather and my toms have been ok. The temp may be cooler than they like but at least it's consistent.

They went into their final places today

[itsallabouttheworms]

mrsbean, it's horrible reading all those comments in the FAQ about Aminopyralid! This is my first time growing and I'm just borrowing a bit of wasteland really to grow on so nowhere near as devastating (if it is that) as some of those stories...nightmare, some of them.

[mrsbean]

glad you found it useful, better to be aware of the ups and downs that we can encounter. good luck with your growing season.

[itsallabouttheworms]

Thanks mrsbean 

[itsallabouttheworms]

It seems that the soil in which I planted my toms has something wrong with it because Dhalias planted in the same soil are also twisting. I'll find out in a few days what the problem is as it's being sent off to be tested (I'm doing the bean test, but someone else wants to send a sample off)
Anyway, I have another batch of toms well on their way and will be planting these out in a couple of weeks - what's a good mix to use for potting them up? I've been using New Horizon organic compost for everything else...would this be OK plus weekly feeding? I have 25 plants (Brandywine, Red Cherry, Beefsteak...all my Gardener's Delight are the twisted ones :-() to pot up so don't want to be spending a fortune!
Thanks!

[Yorkie]

Is New Horizon the peat-free version?  It gets very good reviews, for a peat-free compost.

You won't need to feed for 6 weeks, then a general purpose food until the first truss has set (flowers have turned to little green tomatoes), then use tomato food as per instructions.

[itsallabouttheworms]

Thanks Yorkie - yes, it's the peat-free one! It does have a really nice texture to it :-)
Aha, that's what the "first truss has set" means...always just assumed it meant when I start to see the flowers forming.
Cool - I'll do that then.