Tuesday 9 July 2013

A Mass Of Foliage

My potatoes look to be doing really well this year. If you look a few posts back, you will see how the potatoes, which I'm growing in containers, looked at the end of May. It didn't take long for the foliage to shoot up, and I have to say that it's looking really healthy. Of course, you can never tell what's happening underneath the soil until the contents are tipped out. The plants have started flowering, so I think it's time to find out what the harvest's like. This weekend is the date I've chosen for the first container to be upturned and I can't wait, I'm already imagining that first taste of home grown potato cooked in mint and smothered in butter. I've got twenty containers filled with potatoes so I should have a decent supply which will go on through summer, though I do share them with my parents now that they don't have a garden of their own.

You may remember that Hubby bought me a half standard rose, The Birthday Rose, as an early birthday present last year when my local nursery was closing down and all their stock was reduced to half price. It's blooming away at the moment, but there's a problem, it's covered in Black Spot. I'm no expert on roses, and even though I try not to use chemicals at all when I garden, I think the only course of action for this disease is to spray. I really need to do a bit more research first because, as I say, I don't know much about roses and their diseases, but I'm hoping to get to the garden centre this week to see what remedies they have to offer.

What gorgeous weather we're having at the moment. It's less than a couple of weeks now until we go on holiday so I hope it can hang on so that we get some sunshine whilst we're away. We're going to Cornwall so it would be lovely to have some nice weather whilst we're there.

24 comments:

  1. The weather is glorious & is certainly doing the garden some good. I emptied four tubs of potatoes the other weekend & got a lovely haul. I'm using the last of them in a Spanish omelette
    this evening.

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    1. It's amazing how this gorgeous weather is helping all the plants along. Glad you got a good haul from your potato containers, I hope these do just as well.

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  2. Hi Jo, I emptied one of our bags of spuds and we had some lovely ones.Not many I have to say but we are looking forward to having them.
    Fingers crossed for you the weather remains sunny and warm for your hols!

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    1. I think potatoes grown in containers always come out cleaner and with less damage than those grown in the ground, that's the reason for me growing them this way. I hope you enjoy them, I can't wait to empty out some of mine. It would be fab if the good weather was to hang around for a few weeks.

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  3. Our plot roses get blackspot each year. Sue has removed and destroyed infected leaves in the past but we just end up with leafless bushes. This year we're trying a spray to control the blackspot. Instructions say not to spray in sunshine or if the ground is dry so timing is a little tricky. Not sure if it's doing any good yet as we might have started spaying a little bit too late this year.

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    1. I shall have to visit the garden centre and see what they've got to control it. To be honest, I don't know much about Black Spot, or indeed any other rose diseases. I suppose it will be too late for my rose this year now too, I'll have to remember to be on the ball with it next year.

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    2. We were careful to choose a spray that was just a fungicide as many of the sprays for roses include an insecticide that we didn't want

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    3. I've read that, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

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  4. Some of mine get blackspot but I don't spray. I let all the affected leaves fall off (which they do quite quickly) then collect them up and send them off in the council bin. The new ones that come through won't be as badly affected. If you're going to spray you need to do it right at the beginning of the season, as the leaves are emerging as the spores over winter on the stems. Try not to let any infected leaves hang around, certainly not over the winter. Good luck, and enjoy your rose, and the spuds!

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    1. Thank you for that. I think I may have missed the boat for this year then. Perhaps I'll just see what happens and spray at the start of next year, but I'll make sure I get rid of any leaves which drop.

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  5. Mmmm! The first potatoes, boiled and served with butter. Mmmmm!
    Love from Mum
    xx

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    1. It's a harvest I look forward to, I can't wait until we taste those first ones at the weekend.

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  6. Mmmmm - you are making me hungry Jo with the thought of that first harvest of new potatoes. Fingers crossed for a good haul and that the weather stays fine for your holidays.

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    1. The foliage looks good so I hope there's plenty of good things going on under the soil too. It would be nice to have some good weather on holiday, always a bonus.

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  7. I'll be interested to hear what you find out, as some of mine have blackspot too and I really hate to spray.
    I do hope the weather stays good for your holiday. We had a day out in Cornwall today, I'd have liked to have stayed longer!

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    1. I never spray if I can help it, but it doesn't sound as though there's a lot of choice where Black Spot is concerned. I love Cornwall, but I love Devon too.

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  8. There's nothing nicer than new potatoes straight from the garden. I've got a few grown from ones left behind in the ground from last year. Will be interesting to see if they're any good.

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    1. I'm looking forward to the first taste of the year. There always seem to be a few missed potatoes when growing them in the ground, they're usually fine for eating so it will be an unexpected harvest for you with you not growing anything this year.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013

    Enjoy the potatoes, judging by the foliage they should be excellent.
    I agree with Su about dealing with blackspot. Sadly some roses seem to be far more prone to it than others.
    Fingers crossed that you have good weather on holiday. Flighty xx

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    1. I'm hoping that the potatoes match the foliage and that there's something good underneath the soil. I think I'm probably best leaving spraying my rose until next year now, it's quite unsightly at the moment though. I'm really looking forward to my holiday, some fine weather whilst we're there would be the icing on the cake.

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  10. Oh, oh oh!!!!I can't wait for the tipping....I've checked mine and nothing much yet!!! I have my fingers and toes crossed!
    I have an awful problem with blackspot too.....sighs....xxxx

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    1. I haven't even had a sneaky feel of my potatoes yet, I hope I'm not disappointed when I tip it out. Unfortunately, Black Spot seems to be a common problem in roses.

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  11. I go away soon to Jo so fingers crossed for the weather for both of us!!

    Hope you get those roses sorted...unfortunately I know nothing about them so can't be of any help.

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    1. The weather's looking good so far, long may it last. I think I'm going to have to leave the rose as it is for this year, but I'll probably spray at the start of next year.

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