Has the frost ruined my Christmas spuds?

[TeaMonsta]

I left my very healthy, thriving Maris Peer potato plants uncovered one frosty night a couple of weeks ago and now they're looking very sad; still green, but very limp. Are they ruined?

[Bigmallly]

I think frost turn them brown but if you are unsure lift a plant & see what the crops like.

[TeaMonsta]

Thanks, BM. They're not brown so I'll have a look to see.

[Bigmallly]

If you're getting frost this early, it may pay to either bring them indoors if in pots or cover with fleece, newspaper, straw etc.

[TeaMonsta]

I've got some fleece but the weather caught me out with clear skies one night. I'm in Aberdeenshire so winter arrives slightly earlier.

[Bigmallly]

That explains it, being so far north you best keep the fleece at hand.

[Jungle Jane]

Frost turned a few of my potato leaves black once (I was using a plastic cloche balanced & held on with string for protection,which was good but couldn't fit all of the leaves under). Potatoes were fine though,just took off the black leaves.

[TeaMonsta]

Thanks, JJ. I'll keep an eye on them but apart from the plants being limp, they seem to be alive, still. They were just sublected to one night of a mild frost; it was after that that over the next couple of days they went limp so it was quite sudden. That's why I came to the conclusion that it was frost.

There's nothing worth doing to them, is there (cutting the stems down, for example)? They've already flowered, by the way.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Working on the principle any leaf (provided it is not diseased) is better than no leaf, I would go down the protection route.

[Bigmallly]

It may have just been a shock to them.

[Jungle Jane]

Limpness could be because they're dying down,like they do when they're ready,as they've flowered already. Keep the soil moist for the potatoes during the frost,they cope better apparently,its hard knowing if it's going to rain though,although rain doesn't always get through the leaf growth.

[TeaMonsta]

Thanks for all your inputs, everyone. I'll keep an eye on them and see what happens. There'll be no problem with the rain getting through now as the "canopy" doesn't exist as such now so the rain can get straight to the where the stalks exit the soil. I'll upload a picture.......

[TeaMonsta]

They're much worse now. I haven't been out there for a few days. Many of the end leaves have died off and they've obviously taken a battering from the high winds we had here the other day.

[Bigmallly]

I'd be tempted to throw some fleece over the hoops.

[Martin H]

They don't look too bad at all.

Your job now is to try and keep the leaves green as long as possible by keeping the frost off and protecting from strong winds.

Some time over the next month the tops will die away. Then you cut them down to the ground and protect from hard frosts until Christmas week. Then dig them up with your fingers crossed!