Every Cloud ...

[gradus]

An odd blessing this year despite the rainfall is the absence so far of potato and tomato blight. Fingers crossed that a healthy crop of outdoor tomatoes - by far the best tasting- will be one result.

[AuntDaisy]

An odd blessing this year despite the rainfall is the absence so far of potato and tomato blight. Fingers crossed that a healthy crop of outdoor tomatoes - by far the best tasting- will be one result.

Thanks, that thought has cheered me up no end.
Just a few small toms in the greenhouse so far, but at least the water butts are full.

[oddoneout]

An odd blessing this year despite the rainfall is the absence so far of potato and tomato blight. Fingers crossed that a healthy crop of outdoor tomatoes - by far the best tasting- will be one result.

Even if blight does turn up, as far as spuds are concerned the crop should still be good as amount/weight is directly related(all other things being equal) to moisture received. Tomatoes are less certain as they need pollination and also warmth for their crop, and also there isn't the option to remove diseased top growth to prevent the crop being affected, as there is with potatoes. Whatever happens this year I don't think it will come anywhere near last year's tomato bonanza(all outside - I don't have a greenhouse), so I'm just hoping I can get a few fruit to maturity on the plants I am growing from seed from the Heritage Seed Library to be able to assess flavour and save a few seed for next year and/or to send back to HSL.

[gradus]

Greenhouse crops are all doing well but the melons I've planted in pots are failing to develop the female flowers into fruits and aubergines too flower ok but no fruit set yet, could it be poor or no pollination as there seem to be few insects about.

[Dave2002]

Greenhouse crops are all doing well but the melons I've planted in pots are failing to develop the female flowers into fruits and aubergines too flower ok but no fruit set yet, could it be poor or no pollination as there seem to be few insects about.

We have one bush/small tree which positively buzzes with flying beasts. Some bumble bees, not sure about the rest whether there are honey bees, or just wasps. I haven’t been able to identify what the tree actually is.

[oddoneout]

Greenhouse crops are all doing well but the melons I've planted in pots are failing to develop the female flowers into fruits and aubergines too flower ok but no fruit set yet, could it be poor or no pollination as there seem to be few insects about.

Melons are usually given a helping hand via paintbrush or similar, don't know if that would also improve matters for the aubergine. A number of veg crops are not that attractive to honeybees so bumblebees do much of the pollination work especially for plants undercover , and if there aren't many insects around anyway that would reduce the incidence of pollination.
Some info about bumblebees and tomatoes which might be(e!) of interest https://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bees-p...-tomatoes.html
In commercial greenhouses bumblebees are the choice as they rarely or never sting and don't disappear to pastures new and better out the vents like honeybees.

[Serial_Apologist]

Wish I could express comparable optimism - my roses this year have succumbed to an even greater extent to black spot than in previous years despite having treated them from the first new shoots - no doubt down to the huge amounts of rainfall we've been experiencing. It looks a if I shall have to spend a lot more time and probably money on spraying them in future. The council beds in the adjacent street have become totally overgrown with weeds, with tree saplings allowed to proliferate, with the result that my dead-heading activities on their roses has become much more difficult than previously. This is the very maximum I am prepared to do to keep neighbours and passers-by smiling for what should be ongoing paid work for the council workforce currently busy on tree-pruning.

[AuntDaisy]

Melons are usually given a helping hand via paintbrush or similar, don't know if that would also improve matters for the aubergine. A number of veg crops are not that attractive to honeybees so bumblebees do much of the pollination work especially for plants undercover , and if there aren't many insects around anyway that would reduce the incidence of pollination.
Some info about bumblebees and tomatoes which might be(e!) of interest https://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bees-p...-tomatoes.html
In commercial greenhouses bumblebees are the choice as they rarely or never sting and don't disappear to pastures new and better out the vents like honeybees.

Thanks, that was an interesting article.
Not had much success with melons - tried Minnesota Midget a few times.

[oddoneout]

Thanks, that was an interesting article.
Not had much success with melons - tried Minnesota Midget a few times.

I've tried a few times, succeeded a couple of times when I had a polytunnel on the allotment. I've also grown the midget - it lived up to its name - 2 egg sized fruit!

[AuntDaisy]

I've tried a few times, succeeded a couple of times when I had a polytunnel on the allotment. I've also grown the midget - it lived up to its name - 2 egg sized fruit!

You're doing better than I did - a sort of mini Cantaloupe, very tasty though.