First time with tomato blight

[@tecmow4399]

This is one of the most useful U.K. and Ireland outdoor tomato resources. You got blight but you got loads of tomatoes! They cropped well enough to justify the short season. Thanks again 😊

[@eliandkate]

@@tecmow4399 I can’t tell you how many jars of green tomato ketchup I made 😂😂😂

[@oreopaksun2512]

Very encouraging: when hit by blight, keep calm and harvest. Use the tomatoes up before they spoil instead of ripening further, then celebrate! That was an awesome harvest! And those Black Krim! Wowza! Congratulations

[@eliandkate]

We’re still trying to use it all up…. Suspect I’ll be making more sauce tonight. 😍😍😍

[@oreopaksun2512]

@@eliandkate And that is a problem I would love to have! Enjoy!

[@Me-td8eo]

Green tomato jelly, fried green tomatoes, green chutney... The list goes on and on... Great harvest anyways. 👍

[@carenmcfarland7034]

I got early blight this year. Never had blight before. I was heartbroken as it was my first season with my new greenhouse and I planted tons of tomatoes from seed. I researched and saw that different people treated different ways but nobody said that they couldn’t be saved from early blight. I was so mad at them that I nearly ripped them all out! But I just decided to prune the heck out of them, and it’s working. My best tomato harvest so far and there are lots more on the plants.

[@eliandkate]

Yay!!!

[@GardenerScott]

Great video to spread the word to not worry about it so much. Dealing with the situation, and accepting it, is great advice. I'm glad you could save so much. :)

[@eliandkate]

There will be relish and ketchup for you to try next year 😍😍😍

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

Sorry for your tomatoes. But I BIG thank you for showing everyone what it looks like, what to do, and that it happens to anyone.

[@eliandkate]

I’m so pleased…. We had so many tomatoes

[@SuzMcDonaldWellbeing]

Considering what a crappy summer we’ve had here in Scotland you’ve done amazingly well with growing tomatos outdoors. What a shame that nasty blight came along to put an end to your season but I love how pragmatic you are about it. It’s so helpful and reassuring to us newbie gardeners.

[@eliandkate]

Awesome that it’s been useful for you. I’m so pleased with the harvests we got and I’m not giving in…. Just wait till next year

[@jennyjohnson9012]

What a harvest!! blight or not and let's face it, it's been weird weather here in Scotland. My tomato harvest has been the best so far.

[@eliandkate]

It has!!! I’m actually now excited to see what next year brings

[@samanthahoos9827]

I’ve been throwing all my tomatoes in the blender the day after picking and freezing with garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and eggplants +/- peppers to make sauces for winter pasta dishes. I gave away lots, fed the barn animals anything that was questionable and the stems/roots were throw into the fire pit walkway to be mulched over with the mower. Every end of August blight seems to find my garden, but shhhh because the squash are still free of fungus.

[@eliandkate]

Shhhhhhh

[@gudi361]

RIP tomatoes! There is always next year! I lost all tomatoes in the greenhouse 2 years ago in summee. It was heartbreaking ripping them out. This year so far all fine. Fingers crossed !

[@eliandkate]

I just harvested a heap from the greenhouse so still all good

[@dustyflats3832]

I’ve never noticed black streaks here in US. Every year though, and on time, most tomato plant limbs turn yellow from the bottom up. I think the plants are just done and it’s normal. August brings some fog and the fuzzy leaves probably attract like a mildew. I noticed a couple days ago the mildew on squash. Lol, I cant do anything about it as the squash grew across the gate. I grew many varieties this year and only cared for a few for taste. Most of the heirlooms have too much scarring and waste. This could be due to late frost and drought. Having to water so much and the two heat domes really waters down flavors on tomatoes and strawberries. The other thing is I think many tomatoes don’t have enough acid and the flavor and shelf life suffers. We are having a friend come and harvest again today and then it will be close to removal time. Our weather has changed to cool days and nights and my frost date is about 9/25, but who knows this year. I froze sauce and canned a few and the freezer is full with that and other veg. I still have carrots, rutabagas and another row of potatoes to harvest. Wish we had root cellar dug.

[@eliandkate]

I agree with the flavour I’ve just found all my tomatoes to be less flavourful than other years

[@Tamsins_Potager]

I'd call that a roaring success!!! ❤😊🍅🍅🍅

[@eliandkate]

Me too. I’m chuffed

[@carolinebown8686]

Oooh thats what it is on my outdoor tomatoes ... now I know ... thanks very much for sharing that 😊 I'm the same ...my Greenhouse ones are fine ... Im very pleased with my 1st years harvest ... Would love your recipe for chutney please 😊😊❤

[@eliandkate]

Pop over to our website Caroline, heaps of recipes there

[@carolinebown8686]

@@eliandkate Thanks very much ... thats great xx

[@normahl9086]

I’m in Glasgow, I don’t have a proper greenhouse, just a plastic green one. Following your example, I put many, many tomatoes in pots outside, and 8 in pots in the ‘greenhouse’. Greenhouse tomatoes are smaller, but started ripening earlier. Outside tomatoes are much bigger, but later. Last year I made green tomato chutney for Christmas gifts. They were gratefully received. This year I’m expecting to have more, since my season is almost over, so not enough ripening time. I might be able to justify getting a dehydrator this year!

[@eliandkate]

Oh good argument We just ate our fried green tomatoes 😍😍😍

[@lorainemcguire5795]

Your so calm about the blight which helps us as I panic so thanks for explaining 😊

[@eliandkate]

No point panicking about something you can’t control

[@CMDRSloma]

I definitely recommend Green Moldovan Beefstake tomato, ripening time is similar to Black Krim which I have grown this year outside in my back garden in Belfast. I know Scottish climate is wet but so is mine. Anyway, Moldovan Beefstake is much better tasting than Black Krim imho, anyone who tried it loves it. It has unique tropical taste and actually ripens to slight golden colour. As for my experience with blight, I didn't have it this and last year. Instead my 6th wettest July since 1853 caused outbreak of great mold, affecting mostly paste tomatoes and some of the beefstakes. Once weather improved rest of tomatoes ripened fine. Interestingly my Latah Mrs Rucks and Tiny Tom Reds were not affected at all, especially Latah which apparently is resistant to most fungal diseases. My next door neighbour panicked and cleared whatever she had on her plants but sometimes it is worth to see what happens.

[@marymeredith78]

Love your videos beautiful garden well done

[@simplifygardening]

Despite the blight you still had great toms Eli. great video and garden looks awesome

[@eliandkate]

Thanks Tony I’m so pleased…. A much better result than I’d even dreamed so can’t be sad!!!

[@rmac8737]

1st time I've ever had potato blight, being this far north 8ts never been an issue... warm wet summer has also ruined my roses this year too....

[@tennesseenana4838]

It still looks like you have a good-sized harvest. Learning about your crops is always a win/win situation. This morning I picked off some tiny black & white caterpillars from one of my cherry tomato plants. First time I've ever seen this type. Last year I had a few of the green tomato hornworms but thankfully haven't seen any this year. So far, I've gotten more tomatoes this year than I did last year, and I have more on the vines that will be ripe sometime next week.

[@eliandkate]

Exactly… it’s still been a great year 😍😍😍

[@kathyr186]

Love your positive Attitude. Kathleen Mary

[@eliandkate]

Hope it gave you a wee smile

[@MyFocusVaries]

I've found that when we cover even the tops of our tomato plants (like an umbrella), we don't get blight.

[@beckypeterson7522]

Thanks for the 'up close' photos of late blight. Hard to see in some other peoples photos! Looking forward to your chutney recipe!

[@eliandkate]

It’s not easy to get pics of especially in the sun

[@angelad.8944]

I have made green salsa and was surprised a how sweet it was. I only add sugar if the tomatoes are super tart and didn't need to add any to that batch. It was quite good. I think a green chutney would be similar but I could at least can the batch to put in the cellar. I think you guys did marvelous with your outdoor tomatoes. Here in Ontario, like others may have mentioned, is a mixed bag of weather. Like a yo-yo really, lol. One person from here(Canada) already mentioned no harvest. I can believe that. I am usually overwhelmed in an avalanche of tomatoes by now but this year has been slow and steady. We had such heat and humidity this year that the tomatoes went dormant for a bit. Then we have below 10C for days, then back up to 32C with so much humidity that it felt like 42C 🤪 Now back down to seasonal temps for now. The tomatoes pick up again in late august and it is so tempting to let them go with that flush of blooms. Some years we can get away with it for the small and cherry varieties but the beef steaks are pretty much done now. I am always surprised at how much I do get in the end if I leave them. I myself am ok with some green tomatoes. One year I made a vegetarian mince meat that turned out really nice. It called for green tomatoes. Found it in an old 1930s cookbook. You might be able to dig it up on the internet if interested. It tasted just like mince meat and everyone quite enjoyed it.

[@eliandkate]

I have to say, the green tomato ketchup I made yesterday was gorgeous

[@angelad.8944]

That is definitely something I will try out! @@eliandkate

[@chriseverest4380]

I've got a barrel and i put any tomato plants, fruits (that are not edible), roots and all into it - to decompose to form liquid fertiliser for next years tomatoes (now using Jesse Plot 37's recommendations for varieties). So far - a touch of blossom end rot but no b-word-ght 😂(do not want to jinx them!)

[@Garden-of-weeden]

Great advice as always - it’s a great reminder to us all that blight will get us all one day or another, but there’s no point in crying over it x

[@eliandkate]

May get us😂😂😂 it’s possible that you won’t… but just accept that if you do… it’s part of the gardening cycle

[@Garden-of-weeden]

⁠​⁠@@eliandkate😂😂😂 blight doesn’t discriminate lol I’ve to meet so one who hasn’t (bare in mind I’m allotment based so we’re great breeders of blight lol)

[@eliandkate]

@Garden-of-weeden 😂😂😂😂😂

[@Yankeesista203]

Had serious blight this year! I probably helped to spread it😥! Great amount of rain In Connecticut! Thankfully I was still blessed with a wonderful tomato harvest! You did such a fantastic job growing them outside!👍🏿my friends!

[@eliandkate]

I think it’ll be a staple in the garden now

[@chicosgarden]

I love your positive attitude! You have had a brilliant season, all things considered. Great idea using up the green tomatoes. Well done!

[@eliandkate]

I can say… the ketchup is a win!!

[@lindarobertson8505]

Love that you showed it wasn't a big deal to have blight. Never had fried green tomatoes so have no idea what they taste like.

[@eliandkate]

We just had them with the movie. They are fab… tart a bit like apple… Imagine a savoury apple pie

[@GardenofEmma]

Ahhh blight. What can you do 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️well done for looking on the positive

[@eliandkate]

Best way to look at it What can you do… 🤷

[@LTeppler]

A great harvest, even with all the green tomatoes! Question: Do you ever have trouble removing the stem from your cherry tomatoes? I'm not sure if mine are ripping the flesh because of the variety, or some other reason! They just hold on so tight. For your greenhouse ventilation windows I suggest mesh coverings. Blight is approximately 12 to 20 microns in size. In the US we would order at least a size 800 to prevent spore transfer. Because you don't have a whole lot of openings, this shouldn't be too expensive.

[@eliandkate]

Only if the tomatoes are over ripe

[@marie-theresehayes6875]

Great movie! Hope you found a good ketchup recipe

[@eliandkate]

Oh we did, it’ll be on the website this week

[@Cordelia0704p]

I think you have a fantastic harvest! Sorry about the blight. Fried Green Tomatoes is my favorite movie too :) and so tasty!

[@eliandkate]

We’re watching now with our tasties

[@Cordelia0704p]

@@eliandkate Enjoy!

[@simonysinclair7163]

Glad you still managed to get a good harvest. Can you please tell us how did you ‘disinfect’ the area and soil afterwards so that it is good for follow up planting? Thank you xxx

[@eliandkate]

Hey You can’t disinfect the soil I’m afraid, but all the tools I used, clips, buckets etc can get cleaned with a bleach solution. 😃

[@lyndaturner6686]

I got late blight on one outside bed of tomatoes so as I’d had masses of tomatoes this year I took all the tomato plants out from outside and inside my greenhouse , not worth the risk of it spreading . I’m going to grow blight resistant varieties outside next year in the hopes of avoiding it in the future. I’d like to see your recipes for green one’s

[@eliandkate]

We’re working on getting them into our website 😁

[@MissDeadLucky13]

I need that t-shirt! Sorry about the tomatoes, but great video as always

[@eliandkate]

The shirts are available in our shop 😁

[@PointofimpactTV]

If Charles Dowding composts blighted material, we all should

[@angelad.8944]

Like Eli mentioned, there is a hot temperature that is required that needs to be sustained for long enough to kill the blight. Not everyone can achieve that. Definitely worth having a look at his videos though. There is some great information out there just in general about making great compost.

[@PointofimpactTV]

@@angelad.8944 living tissue is required for blight to survive

[@ninemoonplanet]

I didn't think that your latitude, climate could produce larger tomatoes, but you did it! Even after the see-saw weather. Congratulations. I looked through the coming year catalogue and decided to stick with determinate tomatoes for next year given how goofy the weather could become. Your gardens look great for this time of year. 👍

[@eliandkate]

I’m so happy. Bring on next season

[@ninemoonplanet]

Still got the autumn garden to go yet. Kale, cabbage, chard, beets, winter lettuce too.

[@MyFocusVaries]

This year, I have been pruning leaves off below where tomatoes develop, to help with airflow. I'm hoping this will help stave off blight. And in previous years when we had blight, I brought in even the greenest tomatoes and they did ripen! One great use for green tomatoes I found was to chop them and saute them like celery and mix them into mac and cheese--delicious!!

[@eliandkate]

Oh never thought of that

[@54cal54]

I had blight a couple weeks ago there's nothing you do about it. Every year I deal with it, you can leave your green tomatoes on to ripen yet.

[@teresacondren6404]

I lost all of my maincrop potatoes to blight very early this yr. I suppose we have to take it on the chin and look forward to next season. You've got a beautiful garden 🤩

[@eliandkate]

Exactly… onwards and upwards!!!!

[@kirstypollock6811]

I nearly lost all my potatoes to frost. On the 2nd of June! I got a reduced crop.. Should have planted a 2nd crop then, but I had some health issues that made me reluctant to dig. Oh well. Next year I will do a later crop.

[@Oktopia]

I didn't get blight but my tomatoes grew away from me. A right jungle. But I took off all the green ones and have them ripening on the kitchen counter. All good. Next year I'll be more disciplined about pruning and staking my tomatoes better. Might even try some hardy types of tomatoes outdoors next year as an experiment.

[@eliandkate]

Oh I didn’t know you got hardy types

[@Oktopia]

@@eliandkate There is a type called Norderås Busk, a bush variety that could quite happily tolerate the zone 4 summer here in Norway. It's apparently developed for our climate. I have tried it for a few years now in my plastic greenhouse and it's my best grower and producer. It's just me being convinced my tomatoes must all be huddled together under one roof lol

[@kirstypollock6811]

I tried several bred specially for Germany, a few have been successful but not as much as the random packets from the local supermarket, or last year's overwintered ones (or their many clones). One is giant though. I didn't think it was even a tomato, but a weed, neglected it but put it very late in a random spot. Damn but it got huge, developed the best % of fruit per truss, but late late late now. I hope they taste good! I don't even know which kind it is 😢. I'll just clone it and overwinter indoors. It seems unkillable anyway.

[@kirstypollock6811]

Ooh. I think that's happening on my tomatoes in my field, but not the ones in the front garden, thankfully, or the greenhouse, or the random one on the corner at the back. It got a bit of a jungle out there and managed to get damp despite near-drought conditions - probably started in the 2 weeks of rain we DID get mid August.. I'm so sad to see so many flowers on my outdoor tomatoes because today is probably the last 20+C day of the year here in N Germany... but you never know...

[@eliandkate]

We had 14c today

[@kirstypollock6811]

@@eliandkate ooh. Winter is coming! Yeah, I'll get 17 and lots of rain tomorrow, then it's dry but still as cool. Impossible to believe today, but it's got to happen sometime soon!

[@KatalinCsatádi]

How do you prevent this happening next year? I'm assuming, the spores overwinter?

[@eliandkate]

We didn’t have any problems at all this year. It’s just about good plant management. Keeping the area clear, leaves away from the soil, plants not touching and lots of space for airflow

[@neemib5202]

Will you have to do anything to the soil?

[@eliandkate]

There’s not really anything you can do with the soil. At the moment in the UK we don’t have any of the mutations that survive over the seasons in the soil yet. That’s why we are encouraged to practice good “hygiene” in destroying plant matter etc…. To try to keep it that way

[@bvmcrew]

I just pulled mine for this very reason about an hour ago. Unlike you though, I didnt get ONE tomato off them all season :( They were FINALLY just really starting to produce for ripening in a couple weeks. (second attempt at them this year as an aphid got the first round ) been an odd growing season where I am in Ontario. But thanks for showing this. I was wondering if I should be pulling the root ball out too. I just cut the plant off at the soil level and got them out as fast as i could. Will go back out and pull the root. Always learn something in your videos :)

[@eliandkate]

Oh no!!! Not even one 😭😭😭

[@debbybrady1246]

Do y’all eat fried green tomatoes?💚

[@eliandkate]

No it’s not really something folk have heard of here but I’m friends with some southern ladies 😍😍😍

[@andyward7805]

Hi Kate and Eli, awesome video as always. We have had a glut of cherry tomatoes and i found a recipe on youtube from The Elliott Homestead of what to do with cherry tomatoes and i have to say its so easy and delicious, perhaps give it a look. Also could you tell me where you got your smaller quadgrows for your peppers, we have looked on your gear list and there is nothing there as this autumn we are getting our very 1st greenhouse, we grow in a small garden too, so we are trying to get everything ready and gain as much knowledge as we can ready for next season....super exciting times :)

[@eliandkate]

Hey Andy The company that sold them is Greenhouse Sensation…. They went out of business but will be back next month. Or try TwoWest.com

[@cathgreenwood831]

Thanks Eli, I've had blight and just dismantled my plants. Presumably I'll have to steralize the pots etc, what should I use for this please?

[@eliandkate]

You can just use bleach, you don’t need anything fancy

[@imtinyem]

Whenever I've grown tomatoes in pots, I've been told to bin the soil if the plants get blight. That's not so easy when you have a bed! What will you do with the soil?

[@eliandkate]

There’s not really anything I can do with the soil. It’ll just be a case of being careful with watering, try to prevent splashing etc

[@Scottishtraveler]

So 😢about your Tomatoes - a lot of mine are still green and no sign of blight yet 🤞 But suddenly I have become paranoid about putting any tomato leaf cuttings in my cold compost 😮 just in case What do you think ? Am I mad or just being cautious? I live in East Lothian

[@eliandkate]

To be honest I’d say just live and enjoy your garden. If it’s about then it’s about and there’s no point in you making life hard just in case 😍😍😍

[@Scottishtraveler]

@@eliandkate Thank you 🙏 I know if it is coming - it will come 🤷‍♀️. I can live with the tomatoes , loads of green tomato recipes to use… am well practiced living in Scotland! But after watching your video I got a little anxious about my precious compost never considered before 😳 After 3 years of trying , didn’t have the space really but this year was the first year I got some decent compost. Yay!☺️. But as always with gardening you are always learning and that is one of it’s joys 🥰 You are right @eliandkate just chill and keep gardening!

[@saxylizbeth]

Are you taking them down because of blight, or because you don't think green toms will ripen outside anymore? So many of mine are still green :(

[@eliandkate]

Because of blight. It’s not worth the risk of leaving them because blight spreads fast

[@saxylizbeth]

Thank you! Hopefully more of mine will ripen, but I'll lookout for the green tomato chutney recipe just in case. @@eliandkate

[@debbybrady1246]

Don’t forget to sterilize your clippers.

[@eliandkate]

Indeed That was the boring bit of the day… sterilising everything

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I pick my tomatoes at blush, bring them in and lately they've been rotting before getting completely ripe. Very annoying. I'm sorry about your tomatoes. 😢

[@eliandkate]

It’s annoying but not the end of the world. I genuinely thought the growing outside experiment would be a fail

[@angelavan478]

gazpacho

[@eliandkate]

Hmmmm