Potato blight

mardatha

I singed up for blightwatch and have an email telling me my postcode is in a Full Smith Period.:eek: What , if anything, should I do ? My potatoes are just starting to get flowers on now.

Jack's_mummy

If they are flowering I wouldn't worry too much. From reading around one Smith period isn't too much to worry about but 3 in a row would be. You could spray the foliage with bordeaux mixture or Dithane to try and prevent or slow it but with your plants flowering then they will almost be ready. Check them over dailt and cut off any poorly looking stems/leaves.

Farway

Wait & see if there is a scond warning next week, if so then start spraying

If no more appear just wait, but it is getting near blight time next month

They do also give a warning when blight appears in or near your postcode, which is more helpful

mary-op

Not heard of blightwatch before -thats useful to know and worth popping in my gardening journal so I don';t forget.
Thanks

Dustykitten

I got blight this week. I've cut all the foliage off, collect up, going to burn it tomorrow hopefully. I've dug up a few plants and pots are fine so leaving the rest in the ground for the minute without foliage.

mardatha

What do you look for , how do you know you've got it DK ?:eek:

Dustykitten

mardatha wrote: »

What do you look for , how do you know you've got it DK ?:eek:

Do a google image search on potato leaf blight and it will give you a good starting point as to what to look for.

I've grown potatoes and tomatoes for a good few years so I think you get to know the signs and have a feel in the air for the weather which brings it on. It doesn't help that I'm short of space so my pots and toms are in quite close proximity and I can't rotate far.

misspenny

whole allotment site had it quite bad last year, most of us managed to get potatos out of the ground but because tomatos had so little sun they where really behind and where lost to blight befor fruits could mature, i'd never heard of blight watch either will check it out for my area.

ALIBOBSY

Arggghhh we had a smith period followed by a near miss and I think I may have got some blight.
DK is right there is that "muggy" feeling in the air when its the right conditions .
Found a few dodgy looking leaves/branches on the toms so removed all I could see and thinned out the rest to allow the air to circulate. Been dry all day so hope the sun/dry heat will help stop things getting worse. The potatos seem ok except for one lot in a small pot. Just one set of leaves effected a bit so removed. Will see how it goes, could do with a few days of dry weather to dry things out.

ali x

mardatha

Arghh here too ! I read this post then thought I would just go and check just in case..... the potatoes in the ground are ok (so far...) but the ones in pots were all brown spotty leaves. We hauled them all out and the potatoes themselves seem ok. Two questions LOL_
Is it safe to eat them ? they look fine apart from pinky red spots on some ?
Will the rest in the main garden get this as well ? If so can I cut them off at the stalk & leave in the ground or should I lift them immediately?
Gawd this organic/green/allotment thing is KNACKERING and BAD FOR MY NERVES !

Dustykitten

mardatha wrote: »

Arghh here too ! I read this post then thought I would just go and check just in case..... the potatoes in the ground are ok (so far...) but the ones in pots were all brown spotty leaves. We hauled them all out and the potatoes themselves seem ok. Two questions LOL_
Is it safe to eat them ? they look fine apart from pinky red spots on some ?
Will the rest in the main garden get this as well ? If so can I cut them off at the stalk & leave in the ground or should I lift them immediately?
Gawd this organic/green/allotment thing is KNACKERING and BAD FOR MY NERVES !

Yes you can eat them - if the blight gets the spuds they will have turned black and yucky.

It is spread in the air so it spreads easily. I have not lifted all of mine yet and as far as I'm aware once the plant part is removed the blight does not spread but they wont be growing anymore. I'll get mine out at the weekend as I want the space for leeks in one bed and the other could do with some green manure.

Just having some of the harvest of International Kidneys for dinner in cheese sauce .