Mangetout Problem?

[NightHawk]

We seem to be having a problem with our Mangetout growing in the greenhouse.  A white powdery substance (mildew?) has appeared on the leaves and stems.  Does anyone have any ideas?

They've been fed once a week with Chempak 4 and made sure to keep the compost watered.

The leaves did actually have a faint white marking before this powder appeared.

They were grown from seed within the same pot.  Is it worth continuing with them?  Kathy's been picking peas from this plant for several weeks now, and we haven't been ill 

The photo below shows the problem.



Laurie.

[Palustris]

Mildew does not harm humans for a start, but it does severely reduce the crop.
A couple of points though, we grow a long row of mangetout type peas outside. they do not need greenhouse conditions even here. I would think that the less buoyant atmosphere is a greenhouse even really well ventilated would almost always lead to mildew problems.
Ours have now finished cropping in any case. They are usually over and done with by the middle of August at the latest and towards the end they definitely fall prey to mildew no matter how one grows them. Any uneaten pods are frozen for wnter use.
If you want to keep them cropping now then you could try the 1 part full cream milk to 9 parts water spray, but I doubt if it would have that much effect.

[NightHawk]

Thanks for that Eric.

The only reason that Kathy was growing them in the greenhouse was that we had very little space in the borders that got full sun.

She was also growing dwarf french beans in the greenhouse but she was so disappointed with their yield that she just concentrated on the Mangetout.

I'm not a great lover of Mangetout so it's only for Kathy that they were being grown.

It's good to know she's not been poisoning herself though 

Laurie.

[Eric Hardy]

I am glad Kathy isn't poisoning herself too 

We have not had mildew problems in the greenhouse but strangely we have had something similar on the leaves of the sweet peas this year. It must be all the damp weather we have had. It has not affected the flowers, which we use for picking. I have been spraying the outdoor tomatoes against blight. They are prone to blight in our garden in summers like this. Touch wood, they are fine at the moment. We have some ripening in the green house too but I think the outdoor ones have a slightly better flavour.

I must have a very strong stomach! At the moment I keep popping cherry tomatoes in my mouth whenever I am at the bottom of the garden. That mixed with Victoria plums which I can't resist. No ill effects whatsoever 

Eric H

[NightHawk]

I know people say that you can't beat the superior taste of your home-grown veg, and this is certainly the case for us.

Kathy is also growing her own tomatoes, not cherry, but two other varieties (type unknown which she got from her mum) in the greenhouse and they are giving a good crop.  They taste beautiful.

I'm not a great veg eater (pain in the neck Kathy would say  ) so any veg we grow is primarily for Kathy's use - hence we don't have a veg garden.
Peas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes are about all I like to eat, whereas Kathy will eat a wide variety of veg.

Laurie.

[Palustris]

Well I am sitting here at the moment surrounded by the aroma of gently roasting tomatoes. Once cooked they are frozen for winter use in various dishes. Also there is a large sieve of tomato pulp being processed to produce puree, again to be frozen for things like Enchiladas and Pasta dishes.
Mind there is also a huge pan of windfall apple puree being done again for freezing. This is for me over Winter once the fresh apples have gone over. Mixed with blackcurrants or cherries or bilberries and with Soya cream (better if I could eat Dairy produce, with cream or one of those type things), it makes a very acceptable desert.
Don't half make you hungry though when typing! 

[NightHawk]

I'm currently drooling here Eric, STOP IT! !

As you know, our gardens are not big enough to have a variety of fruit trees or vegetable patches, our precious real estate being given over to our flowers. 

However, when we get our house move under way we're hoping to get a property with larger gardens.  So, who knows what we'll end up with.

Laurie.