potatoes lost to blackleg

[solway cropper]

Checking the potato crop today I noticed one of the plants was looking a bit sickly with curled and yellowing leaves and stunted growth. Closer inspection showed blackleg at a fairly advanced stage with rotted stems which just pulled away from the soil with no effort. That makes four Lady Christl plants lost so I’m thinking infected tubers from that particular stock pile. All were certified seed from a respected grower so if anyone else is growing Lady Christl I’d be inclined to give them a careful check to make sure they’re still healthy. No other varieties I’m growing have been affected.


see what I've been up to on my plot
the recycled gardener

[mrbadexample]

I grew spuds in a bag for the first time last year. I can't remember the variety, but this happened to one bag.

Is it just from infected tubers? If one in a bag had it, would it spread to other plants in the same bag?

The other bag was unaffected, fortunately.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for the heads up SC have just nipped out to check mine and they are all OK. Sorry to hear you lost yours.

Colin

[solway cropper]

Is it just from infected tubers?

It usually comes from infected seed. I had another plant in the same container which was fine but I disposed of it and the compost to be on the safe side.

[mrbadexample]

Is it just from infected tubers?

It usually comes from infected seed. I had another plant in the same container which was fine but I disposed of it and the compost to be on the safe side.

Yeah, I meant seed potatoes, not tubers.

Does that mean I didn't actually do anything wrong?

[Potstubsdustbins]

Black leg bacterium is usually brought in to the garden in infected seed and is impossible to detect at that stage.

However once its there it can spread through the growing medium and can even be spread by insects. It can over winter in the soil/compost to reappear the next year and of course if you miss any small potatoes those volunteers will also carry it.

Colin

[mrbadexample]

'triffic!

I can't actually remember what I did with the compost it was growing in. I hope to gawd I chucked it, otherwise it'll be on one of my raised beds somewhere. Not one with potatoes in, but still...


Edit: It was Maris Peer I grew last year.

[womble]

I had blackleg last year for the first time, on one plant from saved Kestrel seed. I pulled up the one plant and all the others around it were fine.
I think I had an unusual experience by the sound of it, it that it didn't spread and it was on a self saved tuber and none of the pots the year before showed any sign of it?

[Florence Fennel]

Commiserations SC, but thanks for the tip off.