Potato Plant Help

[chrisbathory]

Hopefully someone on here can help me.
I have noticed some dark spots on one of my potato plants, they are quite small, hopefully they are visible in the photos attached
I have 3 plants growing in 1 container (they grew from one seed potato), the spots are only on one of the plants but it looks like it is very lightly appearing on a few of the other plants leaves.
Could this be the start of blight or a magnesium deficiency in the soil? or maybe this is normal? first time growing potatoes, so any help would be appreciated
The leaves themselves look in generally decent condition

thanks

[bramble]

Hi Chrid, what variety are they.?
When did you plant them..?
Are they indoors or outdoors.?
Where abouts in the country, your location might help.

[bramble]

Sorry about misspelling your name Chris.

[johnjohn]

Hi Chris, welcome to the Vine.

Where abouts in the country, your location might help.

It's a bit early for blight yet even in Belfast so breath a sigh of relief
They look quite established so I'm guessing grown under cover in the greenhouse or polytunnel? I would think they have just been caught by a cold snap. My polytunnel spuds are still protected by fleece as I can't get to them every day and they will stay like that until mid April.

You may well get other advice but I would cover them- if you have some compost or grass clippings you could cover them over, or as I have done , fleece them- they will push through in good time. Any frost damage they might have received they will recover from by the looks of things.

[Zelenina]

Hi Chris. Are you related to the notorious bloody countess Bathory by any chance?

No that doesn't look anything like blight. In fact I don't think it looks like anything serious at the moment, but I could be wrong. Discolouring of leaves can be caused by deficiency or excess of nutrients or by fungal and virus infections. Or sometimes there isn't a lack of nutrients but the roots can't take them up due to environmental stress e.g. caused by low temperatures.

Someone might know who's more of an expert than me. Or we might get a clue if you tell us what you filled the container with, any fertilisers or manures added, where you're keeping the plant, what's your location etc. Otherwise I'd say just keep an eye on them and if it gets any worse post some more photos.

[Penellype]

I agree it is far too early/cold for blight, and blight is somewhat more obvious. Keep an eye on it is the best advice I can give at the moment.

[Muddy_Boots]

I would say IMO that definately looks like a reaction to a very cold night but not frost as they would be severely blackened, potato leaves always go blackish as a reaction to cold but as it looks in the pictures they should recover and go green again. Any die back from a reaction to cold will not affect the plant too much all it does is peg it back a week or two, best thing to do is put fleece over if the forcast is that its going to be cold at night. As the weather over the next week looks like it might turn a bit nippy especially at night its probably more prudant to cover them with fleece overnight to be on the safe side.

You can rule blight out at this time of year unless you are nearer to the equator than the rest of us in the uk and europe.