Ask Gerry

I have a polytunnel, and have just discovered that my early potatoes look like they have been hit by what looks like blight - there are also some spots on my tomato plants - is this possible in early may - how do i get rid of it - can I plant new tomato plants in the tunnel - if so - do I need to just grow bags - will I have to change the soil in the borders for next year. I have now sprayed with dithane and cut off the bad foliage off the tubers - potatoes are the size of golf balls and marbles !! - can you please advise?

I have tomato plants indoors. Im afraid to put them outside yet because of the frosts. But even though i have put them in a bigger pot they are looking a bit stressed. I have fed them tomato feed but the leaves are a little yellow and withered. What should i do? Plant them out or keep them in side for another week or two?

I have sown tomato seeds twice (Thompsons Alicante) and they dont appear even after 3 or 4 weeks! My friend sowed the same seeds and he has the same problem. I even have put fleece over the trays!

leaves on plants are turning light brown, shrivelling up and crumble in the hand. I've planted Shirleys-36 plants-all are affected,they're in glasshouse where tomatoes have been grown successfully for 30 yrs/never saw this before/no insects on the plants/grown from seed/it started suddenly over-night after germination and while they were under polythene before being planted out to growing spot.

Is it possible to grow tomatoes and peppers without using a greenhouse ?

Do tomatoes like cow dung? I have recently sorted out my greenhouse and I am getting missed answers from people I know about whether or not to put cow dung in the soil before I plant my tomatoes.

My Mam lives in Kinsale where they have a lot of problems with whitefly. Her tomato plants (Moneymaker and Totem F1) were about 10cm high last weekend. Now, three of them have wilted off and the rest have whitefly. She has sprayed them with Bio Sprayday. Are the two problems related? Does the Sprayday go out of date (hers is last year's)? The plants are growing at the patio door of her apartment, facing southwest.

Im totally new to gardening so will be delighted if you can help. I've recently moved into a new house and now have space to grow plantsHow long do I wait to transfer Tomato seeds once they start to grow, from grow bags to plants.

As Girl Guide Leader I want to plant some tomatoes with 20 x 5-7yr olds. We will plant the seeds "tomato gardener's delight" and then the children have to take them home to care for them. They will bring them back to transplant to pots and then home to grow on. Do you think this is an easy project as my own children took great delight in planting and EATING the end result last year. I wanted our Unit to share in this delight.

We recently invested in a tunnel. We have been studying lots of gardening books but we are now confused!! But thats easy! would you suggest growing the plants directly into the ground or grow in containers. would I set seeds now or wait until the end of February, I have a propagator.

Im doing agricultural science for the Leaving this year and for my project Im using potasium nitrate as my fertilizer. Im wondering where I can get it pure or almost pure or if there is a brand of it in garden centres.I have a fertilizer of NPK ratio 15-5-30. What percent potasium nitrate would that be?and would it be good for tomatoes.

Is it correct to remove all leaves on tomato plants. I did this in July. What purpose does all this greenery serve. My tomatoes are all like cherry toms although they should be bigger. I'm just a novice in the greenhouse dept.

I have recently used b&q organic living tomato feed on my tomatoes and also on strawberries. my tomatoes died and Im not sure if its because of the feed as I know it has been withdrawn from the market. Is it safe to eat the strawberries?

I have been growing tomatoes for many years in a greenhouse. In the last few years I am loosing a lot of tomatoes in the early stages as they fall from the plant at the knuckle just before the truss. Not all are lost but certainly the majority fall as if they had been cut off. Can you advise?

I planted some tomatos recently. Now they have what looks like chillies growing out of them. Any ideas how this would happen? I also have potatos with tomatos growing out of them??