I've got blight

mardatha

I got an email from Blightwatch today saying we have a full smith period in my post code. My tatties are only just about 5-6" tall. I dont know what to do !

Lotus-eater

Formal identification sounds a good service from them, I didn't know they would do that. Not sure if it would be free. I suspect it would be and they would only do it for very early outbreaks like yours.

I did look at the scouts map and it seemed a little odd there weren't any in London, but then if you think about it for more than a second, it makes sense

Being in London, it was probably an overwintered infected tuber in your locality.

At least you now know what most of the rest of us struggle every year with

Bad luck though.

annie123

Lotus-eater wrote: »

At least you now know what most of the rest of us struggle every year with

No way could I go throw that every year, I hate thinning seedlings, never mind cutting down what feels like a whole plant:eek:


Mardatha...Tell you spuds if they get it you'll set the RV onto it;)

mardatha

I have to go out and check them, its too bloody cold and windy and I'm putting it off. Tell me what they did in the old days when they got blight ? How did Ireland live on potatoes ? Did they not get it ? Was the Famine caused by blight ?

dorisday

I read a bookj some time ago about the Irish potato blight. Seem thousands of folks starved and many where sent off to canada to live. Apparently here in the uk we did very little to help them. For the poor people in Ireland potatoes where their lives, living off them and selling them on. Was a good book and a true story. Makes you think about food in a different way. In the world today if we didnt grow so much grains we wouldnt be able to feed everyone, not everyone gets to feed on meat/veg and fruit.

Crystaltipps_2

I got a Blightwatch text today for Nottingham too.:(

mardatha

I know about the Famine, my mum was Irish I just dont know what exactly it was that was wrong with the potatoes - if it was blight ? And no, the UK did not help them
I havent been outside to check mine yet. I sort of don't want to know !

rosy798

mardatha wrote: »

I got an email from Blightwatch today saying we have a full smith period in my post code. My tatties are only just about 5-6" tall. I dont know what to do !

Same here, full Smiths period and I dont know what to do? Any suggestions please?

annie123

What to do if you suspect blight and how to lesson the chances of getting it.
First link from the potato council, 2nd link includes pics to help identify it

http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1bb_potato.asp
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1ba_potato.asp

Lotus-eater

rosy798 wrote: »

Same here, full Smiths period and I dont know what to do? Any suggestions please?

Keep an eye out if you are organic and spray with a blight resisting spray if you aren't. There is also some talk of milk either preventing or slowing blight, I can never remember which.
Also if you can in any way keep your plants foliage dry, we're mostly talking about tomatoes here I suppose, not many people can push their potato plot into the garage, then it's a good thing to do.

Here's an interesting article, I've not read before.
http://growindie.com/2009/07/27/fighting-late-blight-organically/