Shrinking plants

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I must admit i haven’t been in the greenhouses for a few days, but yesterday i spent the day in there.
I have been through all the plants, taken off any parts that are starting to rot, and pulling off any leaves that were ready to come off. As this is done the plants get smaller, there are less leaves and, as the main stem rots down, it also gets shorter. Strange how there are just a few plants that are still fully green and not going down at all, i’m sure they will when they’re ready.
This is an important time of year because if i’m not careful i could loose a lot of tubers. As the plant rots down, if the rotting parts are not removed, the rot will most likely continue down and into the tuber. I have been told by a more experienced grower that if i leave the rotting leaves on the bench they give off a gas that will rot the whole plants. Letting the plants go down slowly, and not cutting them down, allows the plant to feed the tuber as it goes down. I do believe that some growers do cut some of the stem off to hurry them along, but i prefer to let them take their time, at least at this stage. If the season is getting late and the plant in question hasn’t gone down i may trim off some of the stem as they need to have gone down before they can be restarted for next year.
Very tempting to just leave them now that they are’nt growing, but must keep going down to them if i want plants next year.
Must admit i am looking forward to planting again, i much prefer seeing the plants growing up, rather than going down. Still, it’s all part of the seasons and is necessary.

• 31 Oct, 2007
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