Help! I think my neighbour has blight - what to do?

[Seahorse]

My lottie neighbour's spuds are looking very sad:



I've never actually seen blight before but from the pics in my books, I think that's what it is?

What I need help on is what to do about my crop. It's probably only about 10metres away. It looks fine at the mo, as does that of the neighbour on the other side (and in fact, as far as I can see, eveyone else on the site). Do I wait for my plants to get it? Or take preventive action and chop the haulms off now? Is there anything that looks like blight but isn't blight? I don't want to go running round chopping things to bits if there might be a different explanation!

Any help much appreciated!

[jackie j]

I'm sure somewhere on here someone posted photo's of what blight looked like try search engine and see what there is I would do it for you but havent got time.

[HeyWayne]

Mine look decidely unwell too - lots of yellowing, patchy leaves. Resigned myself to the fact that they're blighted.

[smallblueplanet]

My lottie neighbour's spuds are looking very sad:



I've never actually seen blight before but from the pics in my books, I think that's what it is?

Is that blight, or are the leaves just dieing back naturally?

[HeyWayne]

Is that blight, or are the leaves just dieing back naturally?

I thought it was blight as both my seconds and mains are doing the same. Bit early for mains to be dying back isn't it? Don't remember seeing many flowers either.

[smallblueplanet]

Leaf blight top side leaf | RuralNI

Top and bottom shots of affected leaves, note the whitish bloom of spores on some.

They look very different from the picture posted by Seahorse. But

Early potato blight

- Garden Organic

however another

Gardeners World
Symptoms: Potato leaves are marked by brown patches, causing them to curl up and wither. The infection then travels down to the tubers, turning them into a slimy rot.

Find it on: potatoes, tomatoes

Time to act: summer, autumn, winter

[di]

If it is blight would extra earthing up help protect the tubers?

[shirlthegirl43]

Looks more like magnesium deficiency to me Seahorse. Blight spots are sort of grey and furry round the brown bits if you look closely at them and there will be blackening bits on the stems (a bit like over-ripe bananas if you get my meaning)

[Two_Sheds]

I don't think it's blight.
personally.

although Lincolnshire has had some attacks this year. Check out the blightwatch.co.uk pages.

[scarey55]

I know there are some peeps who are unhappy about using bordeaux mix but if you're not one of them, I don't think it will do any harm to spray just incase.

[baggyman]

I think if the leaves are dryish and crumbly then it's probably magnesium deficiency, if they feel wettish then it's probably blight imo.
Then again what do I know!

[Seahorse]

Even more confused now

SBP - I too had seen that near identical pic at Garden Organic and feared the worst but as pointed out, not all 'blight' pics look like that

I do know that my neighbours crop was very badly frosted - could that be a factor? Or maybe he's used the contaminated manure we've heard about recently?

I think as long as mine look ok, I'll leave them.

[Snadger]

Is blight not more prevalent in certain growing conditions. Like most fungi it favours moist,warm, still air methinks?
Your plot may have slightly different growing conditions to his!

[gojiberry]

Personally I don't think it is blight. Right in the middle of my potato patch some of my potatoes have brown spots on the leaves just as your pictures. At first I thought it was blight but that was three weeks ago and the potatoes are still growing. If it was blight it would be fast acting and the plants would be a mushy heap within 10 days two weeks. If a plot next to you were to have blight then it would probably be to late to do much to prevent yours suffering the same fate.

Ian

[SarzWix]

The only thing I would do for my crop if Iwere you, is watch them really closely, nip off any suspect leaves as soon as you see them and bag them to take home (or burn them). Any sign of anything on the stems & cut the tops off. You'll get some crop then, and in the meantime they'll continue growing. If it IS blight on your neighbours potatoes (and I'd say it's inconclusive going on those pics!), it would be better for you (& them!) if the tops were taken off & burnt sooner rather than later!
I'll keep me fingers crossed for you.