[bwize]

Hi, my name is Neil and new to the world of allotments and this site. I am helping a friend on his allotment which he has had since April and after clearing plenty of weeds our first crop to sow was potatoes. Alas we fell victim to potato blight. We have now lifted all the potatoes and i have double dug the plot to remove any stray potatoes. So now i have a nice plot all dug and levelled and just need to know should i do anything else to the soil and what else can i put in the plot that wont be affected by any blight spores being present. Im hoping maybe some carrots, spring onions and beetroot but am open to any suggestions.  




title changed for clarity 

[Ian_A]

welcome.

You can definitely sow carrots now ready for the winter months. Similarly beetroot.
Florence fennel is also sowable now and I find sowing around late July minimises the chance of it bolting.

[bwize]

Thanks Ian

[sunshineband]

As many here will tell you, french beans can give a useful later crop if planted now 

[Salmo]

Blight is specific to the Solamun family so only potatoes and tomatoes can get it.

The spores only live on live plant material so cannot stay in the soil unless there are any potatoes left. However carefully you have dug there are bound to be one or two left in. If these grow next Spring be sure to dig them out as they can be a source of blight in next years crop, both yours and your neighbours.

[mumofstig]

Salmo, I've just read here that it can effect Aubergines as well

http://www.allotment-garden.org/grow-your-own/allotments/crop-rotation/plant-families-or-groups


Neil, here's a thread about winter crops other people are sowing for winter, which may help  
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=96585.msg1071970#msg1071970

[bwize]

Thankyou all for your input. Glad i signed up today

[montygti]

Its my second year on my allotment and this year has been an absolute disaster. The allotment flooded and has been so went nothing really grew apart from small onions and shallots, The pots rotted and marrows, cues, peas, courgettes just died. Is there anything i can plant so late in the year or shall i just write this year off.

[Chrysalis]

Sorry Montygti....   Sounds as if you've had a bad year.  Don't give up.  Mum has good advice 2 posts before yours on what to try now, for later.

We're all struggling this year, but be encouraged.  Something will like the conditions....  we suggested rice a few weeks ago!

Keep paddling 

[Growster...]

Ohhh, don't give up now!

We've sowed peas, carrots, chard in the last couple of days, and the broad beans went in a couple of weeks ago - yeah in modules ok...!

What we're planning for is a great autumn, and its easy to do the work now and watch out for the growth when all else is beginning to fade!

If it's bad, then - so what - you do the same risk in spring, so why not now?

Let us know how you get the plants growing, there's plenty of time!

[viettaclark]

Chinese gooseberry (Physallis) is from the same family and gets blight as I found out last year.......