Yuck - the mildew cometh

[Iceni]

I have never had/seen weather like this before. It is hot, misty and very very damp. Our farmer just shook his head yesterday and said ‘mildew’. I think that that is going to be an understatement. The peas are already getting that happy grey covering and I am glad we did not get round to planting the spuds we were going to (due to ill health not lack of trying). Weeds seem to be the only thing that does not care and we are just watching them grow by the minute. Hoeing is pointless, too much moisture so they need pulling up completely. The only good thing is that Purslane tastes good in salad and we tend to move onto that a bit when it gets to hot (or wet) for lettuce.

I am not going to resort to chemicals, we will just have to see how things go. The first planting of courgettes are cropping but the mildew will get to them if this keeps up so I will carry on bringing on and planting out to keep young plants. Tomatoes I can do little about apart from potting up side shoots which I am already doing for a late young crop in the little plastic greenhouse. If I had electricity in the greenhouse I would run a fan in there but I don't so just open every window wide and I have stopped watering unless the plants really really need it.

Don't know what sort of gooseberries we planted but they are a red variety and seem to be mildew resistant - fantastic, I think that they are almost my fav. fruit and as no one else likes them, I have the whole bowl all to my self .

Hope the rest of you are having better weather - being high we could just be in cloud and the lower lying land may just be dull and hot...