in summer
Problem solving Why are my ‘Shirley’ tomatoes rotting at the end furthest from the stalk? Blossom End rot is a common problem with greenhouse tomatoes. It is caused by nutrient deficiency in the developing fruit that in turn is caused by a lack of water at crucial times. Once you see the blackened end there’s nothing you can do. It can be prevented by keeping the compost constantly moist, especially in hot spells Why do my currants have blistered leaves? The blisters are caused by the currant blister aphid. The good news is that by the time you have noticed the problem, the aphids will have moved on. The leaves may look awful but the fruit shouldn’t suffer. Using a wash on the leaves might help. My strawberry bed has gone mad this year and is a mass of plants. I’m not sure how to solve this as there are too many plants in too small a space. It’s best to think of strawberries as a three-year crop, otherwise they get tired and diseased. If your plants appear healthy, take some strong runners with a good amount of soil and move to a new piece of ground. Or you can ruthlessly cut out all the runners each autumn. Use the runners nearest the mother plants to start a new strawberry bed. My two ‘Bramley’ apple trees had scab last year. Is there a way of preventing it? A mild attack of apple scab will only cause cosmetic damage so you should be able to store the fruit if the skin isn’t too badly cracked. The fungus overwinters on twigs and fallen leaves so clear up and dispose of all the leaves and prune out twigs with scabby swellings. That should start to improve things. I’ve grown sweetcorn for this first time but how do I know when it is ready to pick and eat? It's harvest time when the cobs stop swelling and the tassels at the top start to dry and wither away. As a double check, peel back the leaves carefully and push a finger nail into one grain. The liquid, which spurts out, should be milky. If it is watery give it a day or two and try again. Apple scab - a mild attack will only cause cosmetic damage
High summer tends to be the time when problems start to take over in the vegetable and fruit gardens. We’ve taken time out to answer some of the problems sent in to Country Gardener over the past few weeks
My onions have a fluffy white growth on them and look really poorly. This is most likely to be downy mildew, a disease which attacks members of the onion family in warm, damp weather. The first signs are the leaf tips turning yellow early followed by the downy growth. Those affected won’t store so you need to be ruthless and discard them. Longer term avoid damp or shady areas , opt for a four year crop rotation and try some resistant varieties such as ’ Santero’ or ‘Hylander’ Every time I try to grow leafy summer veg it bolts away. What am I doing wrong? Leafy veg such as pak choi, rocket, coriander, spinach and mustard greens are all prone to bolting in hot, dry weather and especially in greenhouses. The answer is to keep the soil moist and water two or three times day but sparingly. Sow little and often and pick while young. It is late June and my greenhouse is full of mildew and fungal diseases The most common problem with greenhouse growing is overcrowding. If plants are spaced too closely they are a lot more susceptible to fungal diseases such as grey mould or mildew. If you want to lessen any potential problem you can always space your crops a little bit further apart. This increases the airflow through the crop. How do I stop rust on my leeks? Rust attacks strikes from midsummer to autumn and is worst in warm humid conditions. There is little you can do for your current crop but you can still use your leeks - simply cut away the infected areas. Plant hygiene is the key. Destroy any infected plant debris don’t put it in the compost heap. Try to practice crop rotation and choose rust resistant leek varieties. Increase the spacing between plants. An old exhibitor's trick is to smear petroleum jelly on the infected areas. This will seal the spores in and prevent them from spreading to the rest of your crop.
Rust on leeks is worst in warm, humid conditions
Bottom end rot can be prevented by consistent watering
Harvest sweetcorn when the tassels start to dry and wither
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