For the first time in 15 years the garden has not produced a single tomato. Welcome to climate change gardening. The conditions this year have been the worst on record. The combination of incessant rain and little sunshine or heat has made the summer seem more like fall. These damp wet conditions in a sheltered …Read More about September: Empty beds
Posts relating to blight
August: Summer washout?
July was the wettest in Belgium in 40 years with more than double the average rainfall. With towns and villages flooded and a large loss of life this year will go down in history as a disaster. Farmers have lost a lot of crops and growers in general are faced with sodden water logged ground …Read More about August: Summer washout?
Tomato harvest
Tomatoes are best picked young from the plant. While bunches of ripe tomatoes are a pleasure to behold in the garden the best tomatoes are those picked regularly through the season while the fruits are firm and just coming to full colour. All tomatoes should be harvested before they start to soften and stored at …Read More about Tomato harvest
October: Autumn change
Summer has given way to fall. Already the cold of winter is in the air. In some years the fall months (October to December) are mild and bright and sunny, ideal for winter salad crops. The main work in the garden now is clearing away all the summer crops and emptying pots and containers, getting …Read More about October: Autumn change
Plan for drought, prepare for rain
Belgium used to be famous for its wet summers. Not this year. While the real concern affecting farmers is prolonged drought, city gardeners need to plan for the best and the worst of both worlds. It may be a long dry summer or the weather may explode in thunderous rain. Either way being prepared is …Read More about Plan for drought, prepare for rain
Early blight on tomatoes
Tomato plants grown outdoors do not like wet and damp conditions. This spring in Belgium has been one of the worst in years with constant heavy rain. For the first time in this garden a number of the tomato plants have been affected by the plant disease, early blight alternaria alternata. Tomato blight comes in …Read More about Early blight on tomatoes