Potato problem/blemish

[Mark_Riga]

I've had a few potatoes of just 1 variety, harmony, that have brown areas in them.

Does anyone know the cause? I don't think I'll be growing these again but I did buy some seed for this year before I came across this.

[Voglen]

Just out of curiosity did you grow seed potatoes or supermarket ones?

[ameno]

That's not caused by disease, you'll be pleased to hear.
It's a physiological problem caused by cell death due to lack of calcium. This lack of calcium is, in turn, usually caused not by lack of soil calcium, but rather by lack of water, which reduces the plant's ability to take up calcium.

Some varieties are more prone to these things than others, so growing a resistant variety will help. Otherwise, give the plants a good soaking once a week during dry periods, and maybe feed with something containing calcium as tubers start to swell (about halfway between planting and cropping time).

[Mark_Riga]

Thanks for the replies. Harmony must be very susceptible to a lack of water as last year I think it rained nearly every week. Our water butts were never empty. A few, of the same variety also had hollow centres which I know can be a lack of water.
At first I thought it was sprang which I do have in one bit of the garden but then I decided it was different.

Voglen, they were seed potatoes.

[veggiechicken]

For interest..........

Varieties

[Snadger]

For interest..........

Varieties

According to that database my favourite potato, Elfe, doesn't exist.

Unless I am reading it wrong?

[veggiechicken]

How weird!!
It exists but they know nothing about it - Varieties
Maybe its like fairies and pixies .............