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Caused by the same fungus responsible for tomato blight, potato blight causes the leaves to develop dark patches, starting at the edges. In humid conditions a white fungus appears around the marks. The infection then travels down the plant to the tubers, which turn a reddish-brow...

Rust is a fungal infection and there are many different types that tend to be specific to particular plants and spreads by means of dust-like spores. The fungus is encouraged by a humid, moist atmosphere and grows on the surface of the leaves and sometimes stems. It takes its nut...

going in fresh herbs.The plants didn't do much before Christmas and in January and February they just sat there, looking rather forlorn, pinched and chilly - a bit like me. But, once the longer days and milder nights of March arrived, they sprang

results with shallots in the past and they pickle well if there are too many to eat.For greens I'm sticking to cabbages (red, savoy and winter types) plus a couple of beds of leeks, because I love them so much. I'll also sow a few herbs and salads like

potato. Vic and I were raving about 'Charlotte', a fantastic second-early variety, which is firm, tasty and a prolific grower. Tony hadn't tried it before, so I dug up a few tubers for him to take home. He's offered me some courgettes and some herbs

but my vegetables certainly have. The beans have grown well beyond the tops of their poles and have produced a good few handfuls to harvest, which will sort out a few meals this week.My herbs and rocket have rocketed away and are good for a few salads

Around the gardenLift dahlia tubers or protect those left in the ground Sow sweet peas now Collect seeds and berries from shrubs and flowering plantsFlowersLift and store carrots Pot up herbs to bring under cover for winter useSow green manure crops over bare areas

The culprit is the flea beetle, which, like its namesake, jumps away when disturbed. The small, shiny, black, brown or blue beetles emerge in April and May, after winter hibernation, ready to start feeding. Eggs laid near host plants hatch in late-summer. The beetles feed for a f...

Turn over a leaf and you'll see 2mm long white flies. With a life cycle of just three weeks, whitefly breed very fast. Both adults and offspring are sap feeders and a severe attack will weaken a plant. They excrete the sticky excess, called honeydew, onto lower leaves where it en...

, lettuce, rocket, mizuna, chives and other herbs.Strawberries are in flower, and good blossom on my apples, pear, peach and plum has now turned to promising little fruits. I think it's going to be a good year for fruit.Canes of raspberries, blackberries