Potato Blight - Urgent Query

[girl47]

Help Please:

This is my first year with my veg plot.
I planted Sante Seed Potato earlier in the year and they were growing very healthy & strong, but last week - overnight - the top half of all the foliage turned dark brown and wilted and is now slimey! - We have had a lot of rain this weekend and I am concerned that this is Blight and the spores will have washed down into the soil.
What should I do?
If I dig them all up, can I re-plant any other veggies in the same patch straight away? or will this part of the patch be infected?

Help please?
Many thanks
Gill

[Duronal]

hi girl47

It sounds like your potatos were hit by a frost, Black foliage often results from frost followed with the black leaves turning to mush.

Your best bet is to remove the 'burnt' folliage and see if they recover, The tubers should be ok if they haven't come into direct contact with the frost itself.

Best of Luck

If you did want to remove your crop don't follow it with tomatos or anything from the potato family! Try following them with peas/beans or other types of legumes and then cabbage and other brassicas the following year.

Cheers

D

[girl47]

Hi

Many thanks - we did have a slight ground frost the day before I noticed the damage. I would have expected the foliage to just wilt though & didnt expect the leaves to be as discoloured and mushy as they are. Have you/ anyone else experienced this at all?

I will be greatly releaved if it is just frost, but how can I be sure that it is just frost damage, any real way of checking?

I will remove the damaged foliage and leave the tubers to see if they grow ok.

If I later find that it was blight, Do you / anyone know if I can re-plant in the same soil THIS season? or do I have to wait for a longer peroid of time to pass?

I am really an inexperinced grower and obviously dont want to cause any further harm.
thanks again.

[Nicos]

I'm pretty sure it's frost.
It is a bit early for blight.
Here's some pictures of blighted leaves..

Google Image Result for http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/blight_leaves.JPG

Google a few more to get a better idea!


Are you on a lottie?? If so - ask your neighbours what they think it is.

If you do decide to dig it all up ( I wouldn't- I'd wait and see) then I agree with Duronal in that yes, you can plant this year with other veg, just not tomatoes,spuds or aubergines.


According to this site you need 2 days of ...11 hrs of 90% humidity and a minimum air temperature of 10C - and it takes 7-10 days for the damage to reveal itself
Blightwatch.co.uk - the essential service for professional potato growers

We certainly haven't had those conditions- but we HAVE had a light frost last week!

Where are you girl47- if you added your rough location to your profile we'd be able to help you better! Are you in the UK????

[girl47]

THANKS GUYS

I will remove foliage immediately and let the tubers grow on.
Gill

[Two_Sheds]

we seem to have two blight threads running. Here's the other one, which should answer your question: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ght_17798.html

[Paulottie]

It helps us to answer questions if you give a location

[gojiberry]

Blight appears as blotches on the leaves rather than on the edges, it usually looks grey black rather than brown. A plant can collapse and turn to mush within a few days so it is fast acting but not overnight fast. The spores do not reside in the soil, however If I had an infected patch I would be inclined not to plant potatoes or tomatoes on that patch till next season.

Iangojilottie updated 27 May 08

[T-lady]

According to this site you need 2 days of ...11 hrs of 90% humidity and a minimum air temperature of 10C - and it takes 7-10 days for the damage to reveal itself
Blightwatch.co.uk - the essential service for professional potato growers

Wish I hadn't followed this thread ... I've just been emailed by the blightwatch people to say we've a full smiths period in my postcode now! Trouble is ... there's nothing I can do about it - I'm not convinced about the use of bordeaux mixture in my organic patch and what else is there?

A case of ignorance would have been more blissful?

[Nicos]

Sorry T- lady!

We'll be spraying our spuds this weekend! ( We try to be as organic as poss- but I know of no alternative)

[T-lady]

Hey Nicos

Three days of full smiths periods in a row and I'm starting to wonder about this bordeaux stuff and just how much of a problem would a little copper sulphate be anyway?

Having said that ... last year, although we got the dreaded blight, I cut the greenery down and still got a decent crop of spuds. mind you - that was later in the year, mid June I think, so they'd had a chance to grow a bit more.

Ah well, another quandary to chew over tonight over a glass of something cold and alcoholic!

[Demeter]

This web page is quite details about organic methods of blight control.
Organic Alternatives for Late Blight Control in Potatoes

It discusses the pros and cons of bordeaux mixture, and considers various alternatives including compost tea and vinegar-based sprays as well as several commercial products. Worth a read?

[Nicos]

Interesting site Demeter- Thanks!

[T-lady]

Thanks for this Demeter/. Having read what they say about damage to beneficial beasties I'll stick to my previous stance and avoid the copper mix.

[SueA]

After the appalling weather last year led to so much blight & I lost most of my tomatoes I thought about using Bordeaux mixture but when I picked it up & read all the warnings on the pack I decided not to. The 'compost tea' sounds interesting in the link posted but it seemed to work best with added microbes & I wouldn't have a clue how to make it. I think I'll just take my chances again & hope the summer isn't wet & warm like last year.