Blight?

[cityandthemountains]

Hi,

My early potatoes (swift) are looking a bit pale and have some black spots on the leaves. They've been in the ground now for just over 12wks. I've harvested some today and they look pretty good. I'm just wondering if I need to cut the foliage off?



Potato Harvest « cityandthemountains

[Glutton4...]

I'm no expert, but that doesn't look like blight to me.

[binley100]

nor me.......

[Aberdeenplotter]

Looks like Potash deficiency, quite common as this is the one nutrient that potatoes crave & they quickly exhaust supplies unless you have taken adequate measures to supplement it. So if you notice small brown spots on the leaves give a high potash feed to aid the health of the potato & to give a boost to those developing tubers down below.

The above posted within the last couple of days by John Trim FNVS on the NVS Forum

[Potstubsdustbins]

Does'nt look like blight but one check is if it is blight the spots will have a white mould fringe of the underside of the leaf.

Could be potash is needed as above, or could be magnesium deficiency.

You say they are Swift and have been down 12 weeks. Given good conditions Swift can be ready in as little as 8/9 weeks so they should be ready for harvest by now if your unsure.

Colin

[sewer rat]

I agree that it doesn't look like blight and as Colin has said, Swift can be ready in 9 weeks - I have started lifting a decent crop of Swift in one of the gardens I work at and they have been in for 9, now 10 weeks - the foliage is beginning to die back of it's own accord, so I would suggest you lift what you have left in the ground rather than spend more cash trying to revive a plant that has pretty much done what it needs to.

[Florence Fennel]

9 weeks? That's amazing, I might be giving Swift a try.

[Two_Sheds]

As the others have said: it's not blight, it's the plant running out of steam because it's done its job. Dig 'em up, eat 'em

[cityandthemountains]

Thank you.

Thanks for you advice.

Good to know its not blight, we're prone to it in Cornwall so I'm told.

I've started digging them, we had a Kg last night for dinner. Would you recommend digging them and storing, or leave them in the ground and just dig when I want them?

Cheers again,

Terry

[Potstubsdustbins]

Swift will keep well in the veg rack for about a week. I like to harvest about two days before I use them as I find this adds to the flavour.

Colin

[sewer rat]

9 weeks? That's amazing, I might be giving Swift a try.

You can try Swift - the other ultra fast variety is Rocket. Having said that, at 10 weeks I lifted one plant of Arran Pilot (growing next door to Swift) and there was a decent number of nice new potato sized tubers on that as well)

[Flummery]

Would you recommend digging them and storing, or leave them in the ground and just dig when I want them?

Cheers again,

Terry

I harvest as I want them. I can't see the point with earlies in storing then eating potatoes that aren't freshly dug.