leaf curl

[hawthorns]

my charlotte potatoes have got potato leaf curl. they are in sacks. should i pull the up now and see what spuds i have or should i let them grow.

[emilymup]

I am so sorry to hear that. My potatoes grown on the allotment have succumbed to Indian potato leaf curl. I am digging up the affected and destroying them by burning them. Apparently if left yield and quality are affected as well as spreading to other potatoes. I was told there was a spray for them but would rather start again than use chemicals - I am trying to grow organic as much as possible!

I have a thread in vegging out called 'diseased seed potatoes' when I discovered this awful problem.

[gojiberry]

Have never experienced leaf curl on potatoes. However when I have plants with leaf curl I look at the plant and ask myself if the plant is going to cope with it and continue to grow. If the answer is yes then the plant gets a reprieve until as such time as it is not earning its keep. I have some peppers at the moment with distorted leaves but the plant still look healthy and are growing. I think aphids caused the curling but have since got rid of the aphids. You could also have a furtle and see if there are any potatoes underground, if so you might want to start using them.

Ian

[emilymup]

Am glad you said that gojiberry! Some of my potato plants have only a couple of affected leaves and have been seriously contemplating nipping those off as the plants are very healthy other than that and there are lots of very healthy new potatoes formed underneath and seems such a shame to dispose of them. Of course the seriously affected plants have already gone.