By Ricky
antrim,
United Kingdom 
"bad growing year"i have been growing potatoes and tomatoes for over 30 years and this year has been the worst on record very few tomatoes and v small and my potatoes are just dying they still have another 2 months of growing to do,ive been spraying dithane on them every 7 days to keep the blight at bay,ive had 2 farmers up to look at them they say its definately not blight ,but what they also said was if you look at the hedges and trees nothings growing well its something in the air , well i dont know but i have noticed a lack of bees this year maybe because of the harsh winter -20 was a tight one,but that still wouldnt explain my potatoes dying im not on my own ive been asking all over n.ireland and everybodys in the same boat even my own rhubarb shot and flowered and this happened all over the province ,it really is heartbreaking that after filling my polytunnel with over 200 tomato plants and half an acre of spuds that all the planning and preperation has been for nothing ,everything i grew last year was givin away i had so much il not have that problem this year , so good people if any of you have any thoughts on the matter let me know i am at a loss. thanks ricky.
8 Aug, 2011
Answers
I agree our tomatoes have been a disaster this year due to the fluctuating temperature. Our potatoes however are doing fine and growing away happily. We have never, and would never, considered spraying with anything. As Dr B has already asked are you using a four year crop rotation?
8 Aug, 2011
Ricky, what is your rotation with the potatoes you grow, you need at least a two year gap between crops, it will also apply in your polytunnel with tomatoes. The seasons have been the worst I have experienced over the last two years, water being the main problem in my area.
8 Aug, 2011