Potato blight????

~Chameleon~

Is it possible to get potato blight this early in the season??? Noticed a few leaves turning black and curling over on 2-3 of my potato plants this evening :eek: :eek:

Could it be anything other than blight? Will post a photo tomorrow as it's too dark to take one tonight.

Really worried now

mjr600

Sounds like they may have been nipped by frost, it's really too early for blight and the weather has been too good.

To be sure spray with Dithane 945.

dragonsue

Or the cheap way is to grab two very large handfuls of Horsetail, (considered a weed these days, but has some useful applications) boil in 2 pints of water for ten minutes, let cool and spray affected potatoes.

~Chameleon~

I've been out and taken a photo this morning ...

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/chameleon.photos/Garden/photo#5202725056550728146

If it was frost-bite why has it only affected 2 plants? (one extensively and the other just starting to turn black) plus I don't think the temp has dropped that low here since April, certainly not sufficiently to produce a ground frost

Lotus-eater

Frost, just leave them alone. Don't forget frost can form as high as 4 degrees if I remember correctly. A gardener needs to leave one eye on the weather all the time (we tend to crash cars alot)

~Chameleon~

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Frost, just leave them alone. Don't forget frost can form as high as 4 degrees if I remember correctly. A gardener needs to leave one eye on the weather all the time (we tend to crash cars alot)

Thanks, that's very reassuring to know :A

In fact after I posted that I went back out to the garden to check a nasturtium pot that's just starting to come through, and guess what - yup, it's also been hit by frost! :rolleyes: I know from experience that this won't tolerate low temps and always end up losing some in late spring, poor things

absfabs

Gosh, I don't know, Chameleon!

Would have thought blight unlikely with the dryish weather lately. But no expert. Just been googling, found this useful site

http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/index.html,

am certainly going to sign up for early warning system.

Not much help to you now. I would cut out any affected leaves and burn or put in household rubbish, and hope for the best. Possibly start spraying... Not sure.

PS Just read the other recent posts, frost, phew, what a relieve!
Thanks

arkonite_babe

absfabs wrote: »

G
http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/index.html,

I've added the site under "P" in the useful links sticky for future use

Lotus-eater

I've done the blightwatch thing for a couple of years now and when the blight gets to my area I do get blight, the smith periods go along with this as well.
Its hard to do, but if you can keep the rain off when there is a smith period, at least on your tomatoes, you give yourself a huge chance at not getting blight. Its probably better than spraying with Dithane 945 (whatever that is).

absfabs

After loosing all my tomatoes (all outdoors) last year, I've decided to keep 1 plant of each sort ( got 3) in the greenhouse this year, just for back up.

Someone, sorry can't remember who, suggested last year that you can easily propagate new tomatoe plants by planting the sideshoots we usually pinch out. Tried it and it worked, though was too late in the season to give many tomatoes.

Will be better prepared this year. Fingers crossed!

Lotus-eater

Why don't you grow them in the greenhouse? Are you keeping them as backup ready to go outside?