Blight contagion?

[cafecreme]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knows about whether we could have brought blight home with us - in other words, whether the spores can be carried on clothes and shoes. Went to see my parents at the weekend two hours' away and helped mum pick blackcurrants on their plot which had been attacked by blight. Dad hadn't cleared away the dead plants yet. Now our tomatoes are showing signs We didn't touch any infected plants and cleaned off our shoes with disinfectant before travelling back home and the clothes went straight in the wash but could we have brought it back with us in the car anyway?

Seems a silly question, but if anyone knows the answer, it could help for next time!

Thanks

[Aberdeenplotter]

Doubt it. Blight needs a sustained period of heat and humidity - a smith period - when temperatures are above 10 °C (50 °F) and humidity is over 75%-80% for 2 days or more.

[WendyC]

Do blackcurrants get blight? Thought it was the potato/ tomato family.

[taff]

yes you can.
sorry.

[Sarico]

What else get blight? Peppers, aubergine, squash?????

[zazen999]

Do blackcurrants get blight? Thought it was the potato/ tomato family.

the plot had blight, not the blackcurrants....is how I read it.

[Aberdeenplotter]

What else get blight? Peppers, aubergine, squash?????

have a looksee here about blight Phytophthora infestans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Sarico]

of course.. they are the same family... so potatoes and tomatoes are more in danger but pepper and aubergine they could get blight...

[Thelma Sanders]

I have it on some Aubergines - the pots stood outside on the plot I'm picking more leaves off everyday hoping to get the first fruits off them, cos they still look ok at the mo.

Have taken up the outside tom plants and the tops off the spuds - hope the toms in the greenhouses at home stay ok - just one of those years, I suppose!

[cafecreme]

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the responses, and sorry for not wording my post very clearly - I meant that the tomatoes and potatoes on the plot had succumbed to blight, but not the blackcurrants themselves.

According to the blightwatch emails, the last full smith period here was July 14th, almost two weeks ago. I wonder whether it can survive that long or whether we did bring it back. Anyway, we have it now. Just chopping the bad bits off and giving the plants in pots as much sun as possible and hoping for the best... @Thelma Sanders, commiserations. Hoping my aubergines and peppers don't get it too, although they haven't done very much this year at all either..

[taff]

Also, spores are carried by wind and rain, so it's likely it was that, not you.