Potato Blight

[allotmentlady]

Hi there guys, not been aorund for a bit .....

We have blight. Our crops of spuds have been awful, no potatoes really, two to a plant, we have discovered that the seed potatoes that we used had blight and this has caused us no end of problems. Very disheartening for Gordon and I. We are digging up and burning and just going to have to wait until next year. Seperate spuds we bought, that we are growing in tubs are fine but its kind of upsetting, when we have 6 mouths to feed!

[Two_Sheds]

were your spuds rotten then?
a low yield doesn't mean you have blight

[Hilary B]

Where did the infected seed come from? If you bought it you should be hammering on the door demanding compensation!

[Rachiered]

Oh, that's awful. It's so disappointing when you've nurtured something from the start and it gets poorly and has to be disguarded. And with the price of veg at the moment too!
Blight has arrived here too. Fortunately I have dug up my earlies already, but I'm just spraying with bordeaux now, hoping to save my maincrop.
It's terrible to think that the suppliers have sold you something not up to standard. You deserve compensation. I takes a lot of work to dig up and burn a whole batch of spuds.
I hope it works out ok for you.

[allotmentlady]

Yes they are rotten, yesterday evening my fingers were going right through them, terrible. Yes I could go back to the supplier, he denies everything, then blames his supplier, it will go on and on. I actually sat on the plot last night feeling very depressed, digging for nothing.......

[Two_Sheds]

we have discovered that the seed potatoes that we used had blight

When choosing potato "seed", it is important that "Certified Seed" is planted. Such seed has been inspected and grown under rigid conditions, so that it is certified virus-free.

This is one reason why you shouldn't grow 'volunteer' or supermarket spuds.

[Twinkle]

really sorry Allotmentlady... It's a horrible feeling

We have 4 beds of potatoes here, 2 of which have blight, due I think to the last 6 weeks of wet, warm, windy weather spreading it (and residual contamination from last year)

Just removed the tops of the second earlies for a bonfire - doesn't seem to be too bad on the actual potatoes (yet) just looking a bit scabby for now.

Sorry to hear about your supplier's attitude - that stinks

[rogesse]

Thankfully so far so good on the potato front but I have committed the sin of using shop bought potatoes (Anja in a barrel & a spare row)

The 'summer' so far has been disappointing - should I be using Bordeaux mix as a precaution (I lost most of my tomato plants last year). I'd be gutted if the potatoes went the same way

[Two_Sheds]

- should I be using Bordeaux mix as a precaution

No, not unless you have a Blight warning in your area. Check the link I posted, and have a look thru all the other (100s) of posts on Blight on this forum.