Thursday, August 23, 2012

Beans and Blight

Well, for the good news first. We have been harvesting some lovely beans, which, although a little difficult to get growing, are finally showing their stuff!! The pole bean varieties are Fortex and Blauhilde, the latter a particularly deep blue purple. I prefer them over Purple Podded because I find Blauhilde more tender but not as prolific. I also love how they look winding their way up the pole support and with a few Painted Lady Runner Beans to liven the floral presentation...the hummingbirds are in heaven.
We are also harvesting some tomatoes, mostly the Costuloto Genovese, with their beautiful ribbed fruit and great flavor. They've been a tidy plant to grow, not taking over, averaging about fifteen tomatoes per plant. In fact they have done better than most being rather resistant so far to the tomato blight that has swept through the garden. Early blight I have experience with, but this blight, which I feel sure is known as late blight...swept through in just a few days, like a flame thrower attack, the leaves totally withered and died... so quickly, I was overwhelmed. It is unusual to have this in our area, and others are reporting it as well. The combination of a wonderful hot summer, and then August rain and fog, seems to be the culprit. Here are a few photos of what it looks like here....

It was with a heavy heart, I removed many of the tomato plants. Bagged for incineration by the municipality, they are now disposed of. Gardening is full of ups and downs, but I must say, this truly took the wind out of my sails. Will keep on the positive side of things though, and that's all one can do.

19 comments:

  1. Beans are about the only veg we could call a success this year - almost no fruit on the trees. That said, the walnut tree is full to bursting. Cool dark beans!

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    1. Lucky you...walnuts! Glad you had bean success as well.

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  2. Sure looks like late blight. I'm sorry you have lost those tomatoes.The losses are tough, but you are right to focus on the things that succeed! Every year is different, that's for sure.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. It was a very sad day when I had to take them out.
      Absolutely, every year is different so will hope for better years ahead re tomatoes.

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  3. We had something similar happen early in the season and consequently are buying all our 'fresh garden' tomatoes from stands this year.

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    1. Well looks like we are going to have to buy from the stands ourselves, but perhaps some of the green ones will ripen enough to be useful. Don't care much for green tomatoes ;-(

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  4. Brenda, I am so sorry about the tomatoes. How awful. However....I do see that our gentlmans bet has paid off for you. East coast wins the first annual Fortex bean race. It looks like I will start harvesting this weekend. I'm unsure how to know if they are done. But they are looking good. About a foot long. Yayyy.

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    1. Oh Erin, I think your Fortex are ready...you can eat them from small to larger but better small, about seven inches. The touted greatness of Fortex is they are tender large and small. Remember to let some go to seed later on so you will have them for next year.

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  5. both late and early blight arrived early here- together! (although they are not related) I'm glad I grew no toms or spuds this year. Some farmers lost whole crops

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    1. I am sorry to read about farmers in your area losing whole crops. They must have been heartbroken. Both my tomatoes and potatoes were affected. Sad state of affairs.

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  6. Sorry to read about the blight. I've not yet got right into veggie gardening, and have not faced many challenges like this. I had just been rejoicing with you, reading the lovely profile of you and your garden in Garden Making. Congrats on that!

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    1. Hi Jeff, thanks for your kind comment and your offered congratulations on our sharing the garden with the readers of Garden Making Magazine. Local writer Heather White did a fine job of writing the piece, and Nova Scotian photographer James Ingram helped the garden shine. It was a great experience.

      Garden looks very different right now, with this blight....but will soldier on.

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    2. One little note though, the garden we used to care take was about 150 acres, not 1,500 acres. An extra zero makes a big difference! No one's fault, just one of those things that happens sometimes.

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  7. Oh Brenda, I know how you love your tomatoes and I would have thought that this would have been the perfect summer for tomatoes. No blight here yet (fingers crossed) perhaps the breeze from the lake has helped and being more inland we haven't had the fog. Who knows. You will be welcome to tomatoes from my patch.

    Donna

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    1. Now how kind is that! Thank you Donna, you were lovely to offer. No Sarah Raven tomato jam this year I don't think.

      Your location is surely a help, as we are so close to the sea, perhaps that made the difference heh. Sigh...sigh... But still, Mexico Midget, Sun Gold and Costuluto are still okay, while others although blighted, the fruits are starting to ripen and many don't show the leathery brown spots. Will process them as quickly as I can.

      As always, thanks Donna for your comments

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  8. oh no!!! I know the heartbreak Brenda as I had blight last year. It seemed to be everywhere on the island. A whole summer of waiting and then blackness. I am so sorry this happened, wish I could send some of my plants over to you. I've had blossom end rot on a few plants but thankfully no blight yet (fingers and toes crossed). By the way, thank you thank you for sending me dragon's tongue seeds, you have started a taste for beans I thought I never had.

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    1. Thank you for your kind thoughts and words. I have managed to get a good crop of tomatoes as some plants I left and didn't pull out. The leather spots were not on all of them, and the first sign of color change on the fruit, I picked them to ripen inside. Green ones are also ripening so they were far enough ahead. Good news!!

      You are most welcome re the Dragon Tongue seeds (originally from Westcoast Seeds BTW))

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  9. Brenda, I'm so sorry to read about the blight. I know you work so hard and these set backs can be discouraging. But as you said, look at the positive things and those beans certainly look positive and yummy and so beautiful on the bright orange plate!!
    ~Michele

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    1. Thank you Michele. I was so discouraged but, still, I have had a crop and I didn't think I would. The Costolluto have been very resilient as were some of the paste tomatoes and Mexico Midget, and Sun Gold Cherry. So, there was a silver lining there.

      Orange and purple go together so well don't you think! More orange in the garden! and the kitchen.

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