TIPS TO PREVENT TOMATO TROUBLES

Grow marigolds close to tomatoes as a companion plant as their pungent scent may deter whitefly.

If you can’t be at home to water tomatoes regularly, set up a solar-powered, timercontrolled drip irrigation kit, linked to a nearby water bu .

Liquid feed with tomato food under glass when the first truss of fruit has set,

lllor when the second truss has set for plants grown outdoors. Never over feed.

During hot, dry spells, dampen floors of greenhouses in the morning to raise humidity.

Cut off excess foliage to allow sunlight to reach trusses laden with fruit. Pinch out sideshoots of cordon (single stemmed) varieties to prevent unwanted vegetation.

llBlight – the mere mention of this plant-wrecking disease is enough to send a shudder down gardeners’ spines. Transmitted by airborne spores, blight is most likely to strike during warm, wet, humid weather. To spread, the disease needs just two consecutive days with a minimum temperature of 10C (50F) and humidity in excess of 90 per cent for six hours on both days. Leaves and stems decay rapidly, with rot spreading to fruit. Outdoor crops are at greatest risk, so grow in a greenhouse where possible. Leave space between plants to allow air to circulate and avoid planting into soil where blight-hit crops have previously grown. No fungicides are available, so diseased plants should be binned or burnt (never composted). Grow blight-resistant varieties such as ‘Mountain Magic’, ‘Fantasio’, ‘Lizzano’ or ‘Crimson Crush’.