[Jonajo]

A premature question perhaps, given the year has barely started, but is blight likely to be an issue in a greenhouse? I grew a load of tomatoes last summer outside on my plot and blight decimated them. As they did for most plots' tomatoes on the site.

I am intending to buy a greenhouse in a month or so for various things, including tomatoes.

Thanks 

[DD.]

Not so likely, but yes, it can be an issue.

Blight is airbourne and outside it can be washed down by rain, doesn't stop it drifting in through window or door of a greenhouse though.

[JayG]

Any reader of these forums will know that nothing is 100% right or wrong when it comes to gardening techniques; it's often about playing the percentages.

I "got away" with it last year with my coldframe-grown tomatoes, going to a lot of trouble to make sure I didn't accidentally create perfect conditions for germination of any blight spores by not wetting the leaves when watering, removing leaves which were touching each other or the glass (traps water) and making sure the plants were ventilated when this could be done without letting rain on to the plants.

I was also no doubt lucky; you need that as well even if growing in a greenhouse, although almost certainly not so much as growing outside.

[strangerachael]

You might also want to consider which way to site the greenhouse - if the main opening is facing the prevailing wind then that slightly increases the chances of blight spores blowing inside.
Last year some of my greenhouse tomato stems turned brown as if with blight but it didn't really develop and the fruit was unaffected.

[DD.]

I sprayed my outside ones with Dithane & got away with it. No one else on the site did!

[savbo]

i had quite a bad blight attack in my 12' ghouse but it was rammed with plants and wasn't opened up enough while we were on holiday... I'm hoping with more spaced plants and better ventilation I'll be OK this year...

M

[JayG]

i had quite a bad blight attack in my 12' ghouse but it was rammed with plants and wasn't opened up enough while we were on holiday... I'm hoping with more spaced plants and better ventilation I'll be OK this year...

That's really groovy; you're obviously an old hippy (what are you going to use instead of dithane?!!)  

[savbo]

i didn't say what type of plants they were...

[JayG]

Coool (and very quick!!) 

[Jonajo]

thanks for the advice/info as ever. Next stage is to choose greenhouse and all that - and persuade them to deliver to allotment.

Mind you my partner did query whether we actually do need a greenhouse given it would be used just for tomatoes mainly during the growing season. The cucumbers, peppers etc we grow outside successfully. Ho hum!

[JayG]

Mind you my partner did query whether we actually do need a greenhouse given it would be used just for tomatoes mainly during the growing season. The cucumbers, peppers etc we grow outside successfully. Ho hum!

Tell your partner that all those crops (+ aubergines + melons if you like them) will be even more productive grown in a greenhouse, unless you happen to live in Spain (??!).   

[Aidy]

There could also be something else in the air, there may a mineral deficiency, some do take on the appearance of blight. Lots of air circulation will reduce the risk of blight.