Spraying spuds

[redser]

Hi - looks like I've been caught out. It's warm, humid and raining. I rely on our local met service's Blight warning but they only put one out at 4am this morning, for today! Too late for me to do anything about it.
So if I run up after work and spray in the rain will it do any good do you think? Or am I burgered?
Thanks

[Dorothy rouse]

I may be wrong,but by 'warning' I thought they were just indicating to you that 'conditions' were right for possible Blight, so you can check and keep an eye for it starting. We were issued with a warning last summer, mine were fine fir a couple of weeks, then I wasn't sure if they were getting it or if it was just them dying back, so I cut them, and left the pots a couple of weeks before digging up any, all were fine.

So I'd say don't panic.

That's just my opinion, others may differ.

[redser]

Thanks Dorothy. I just think that it's very likely to strike at an allotments if the conditions are right. So many different gardeners around doing different things and it can spread so fast. I gave them a spray anyway, fingers crossed!

[Nicos]

You know what?
It's probably going to hit you anyway..it does most years it seems to me.

Go ahead and spray...then every 2 weeks after that....that's the only way we could grow spuds in our last UK lottie.
Had to start 1st week in June too!!!


I hate using any chemicals but that seemed to be the only way.
Never felt at ease to do it to the toms though.
Remember it takes 2 weeks to show once infected.

[solanaceae]

No, don't spray in the rain. The rain will just wash your fungicide straight off the plants and into the soil, so the will fungicide will be ineffective. Only once it has stopped raining, and there is no threat of rain in the coming hours, you should spray. Then it'll have plenty of time to dry out on the foliage and make its residue hard to wash off.

[redser]

No, don't spray in the rain. The rain will just wash your fungicide straight off the plants and into the soil, so the will fungicide will be ineffective. Only once it has stopped raining, and there is no threat of rain in the coming hours, you should spray. Then it'll have plenty of time to dry out on the foliage and make its residue hard to wash off.

Thanks. It did rain again. I'll check the forecast and see about another spray tomorrow.

[Alison]

No, don't spray in the rain. The rain will just wash your fungicide straight off the plants and into the soil, so the will fungicide will be ineffective. Only once it has stopped raining, and there is no threat of rain in the coming hours, you should spray. Then it'll have plenty of time to dry out on the foliage and make its residue hard to wash off.

Not only does it wash off but it then also sinks into the soil and it's not nice stuff. I prefer to take the risk as I choose not to spray but it is a nervous time of year. Partially compensate by choosing mainly naturally resistant types of potato but.....

[redser]

I know. I agonised over it after I lost crops 2 years in a row and decided to spray from then on