infected potatoes

There's always something isn't there. I inspected the main potato crop today and found three rather sickly looking plants with what looks very much like potato leaf roll virus. The leaves are a pallid yellowy-green and the plants are half the size of the uninfected ones.

While it is not usually fatal to the plants it does result in greatly reduced yields so I'm just going to remove them and dispose of them carefully. ie. not on the compost heap. What is annoying is that I make a point of only buying certified seed.

On a lighter note last night's rain was very welcome. I now have one water butt full so if we get a few more heavy downpours I should be OK water-wise for a few days at least.

The annual war against the cabbage white butterflies in now under way and I've covered the brassicas with debris netting. Not a pretty sight but I spent far too long last year picking-off caterpillars when I could have been doing something more productive.

Here's some Primo cabbage inter-cropped with lettuce although the lettuce seems to be coming off rather badly in the growth game. The close spacing of the cabbage is because this is miniature variety and only produces a small head - perfect for just two people.