collapsed potato plants

frazzbo

Hi folks,

With all the torrential rain the past couple of days, our potato plants seem to have collapsed. They had been doing really well until now. I've tried to prop them up against each other but I'm a bit worried about them being too close together (they're in bags, two per bag).

Will they sort themselves out when (or rather if it ever) it stops raining? Our potatoes were rubbish last year and I was really hoping this year would be better!:wave:

Farway

Are you certain it is not blight?

Blight is now doing the rounds having had hot & humid days over last fortnight

If it is not blight they will sort themselves out

macma

My OH has just gone down the lottie to cut off all the tops off our spuds.BLIGHT
Hopefully we will save many but I doubt they will store very well.
I expect our tomatoes will be done for as a neighbours are already black.

frazzbo

They look quite healthy, no blackness or decolouration of leaves or stems so I don't think so - they certainly don't look like they did when they got diseased last year and I assumed that was blight then.

Fingers crossed they will be ok. I think it is just the weight of the rain - we had really bad storms in yorkshire yesterday!

Eenymeeny

Mine look the same Frazzbo. I'm growing potatoes for the first time and it only seems to be a couple of plants that I planted in 'flower' buckets. The ones in the ground and bigger containers seem fine. Like you I'm thinking that it's the weather or maybe they've grown too big for their pots. I've propped them up and will make sure that they're getting enough water (!!!)
Will watch this thread with interest, thanks, good luck!

valk_scot

Some varieties of potato are more floppy than others, especially if they're tall. What variety were your's?

frazzbo

Roosters and charlottes. We have grown them for the past few years and not seen them do that.

We have actually had a relatively rain-free weekend and they're starting to look a bit better so fingers crossed!

poorly_scammo

I'm in the same part of the world as you OP and am too growing potatoes in bags. My varieties are different but the rain has caused my foliage to splay out. Some of them are nearly ready for lifting so I'm not too bothered about the foliage.

I'm more concerned about blight.