Botrytis in Tomatoes and Chutney Making

Tomatoes

Usually at this time of year, Val helps out in gathering the harvest from the plot but this year she’s got her right foot in plaster so apart from a state visit to inspect the greenhouses she’s not up to helping much on the site.

So my instructions today were to take her shopping, like most men I love shopping, followed by getting some cucumbers and tomatoes from the plot.

3 large cucumbers were no problem but the plum roma tomatoes were looking really ill. With all the greenhouse construction, I’ve taken my eye off the ball and some nasty blight, I think botrytis, has struck the tomatoes. Even the Sarpo Axona potatoes seem to have been struck by blight and they’re supposed to be immune to blight.

Anyway, I stripped the plants on plot 5 and came back with 6 carrier bags of tomatoes. Most are still green but we’ll be able to ripen many of them up at home using the banana trick. Of course, the best ripe ones had been nibbled by slugs. As I cleared the plants, I noticed some huge brown slugs with bright orange skirts making their escape. Actually, they are quite beautiful even if they are the worst pest in the garden.

Some of the tomatoes won’t ripen and I expect Val will turn them into a chutney or something. There was a wonderful smell as I walked in, she’s hopping around (sorry, couldn’t resist) making cucumber and apple chutney.