Nursing times

I am worrying about courgettes. As my second favourite summer veg, I really want my own, just-outside-the-front-door crop. But the three plants I have put out so far are looking poorly. They have come out in yellow spots and the leaves look crumpled.

I have had trouble with these in the past. The year before last I had dozens of flowers but no fruit. Last year I think the plants succumbed to mosaic virus and looking at them this year, I am worried it's back.

Mosaic virus attacks a whole bunch of things but particularly courgettes, squashes and cucumbers. As I understand it, it gets in through those places where aph

ids have bitten or where there has been some other damage. Afte

r last year's outbreak I destroyed the plants and made sure I didn't plant this year's lot in the same place. However, loo

king at the evidence I think the news is not good.

So what to do? The virus doesn't kill the plant but makes it weak and it remains a threat to other uninfected plants. Since I have a pretty small patch to grow in I think remedial action is probably too late - my other plants probably already have it. I have decided to nurse this lot for the time being and see what happens.

However, I do have some more young plants not yet planted out including two sorts of cucumber, Burpless Tasty Green and Crystal Lemon and another variety of courgette, Firenze. These I'll plant up in pots in the back garden and hope they don't get sick away from the isolation ward.

This is the sort of thing that tries the patience of even the most enthusiastic gardener. Note to self: next year buy disease resistant varieties