Is It Blight?

[Vince G]

So, I've slashed the plants down so there is no more than about 6 inches of stem poking up. How safe are the tubers going to be? We've got rain forecast here tomorrow, so how high is the risk of spores getting washed into the soil and affecting tubers? Also, I've read somewhere that you should earth up a bit more to stop spores being washed too deep, but wouldn't further earthing up mix the spores into the soil?

[hamesy]

My potato crop was dug up last week before blight got hold properly. Tubers aren't exactly massive, but at least I've got something.

[Alison]

Bad luck to those of you who have blight - I've not yet but may well before the end of the growing season. However, I think that sometimes we can get paranoid about blight, not all dark marks on leaves are blight, I seem to get marks every year but they are almost always crispy (from sun scorch I think) but from a distance (and on photo) would look very much like blight. If I were to panic I'd have cut these down early every year and reduced my spuds take. If it really is blight you defo need to act but look carefully at the underside of the leaves and the stems before doing anything drastic. Also, as I said, blight isn't crispy and dry so if your damage is then don't panic

[Thelma Sanders]

Well, that's a point I have to disagree with

Down here we got a touch of blight about 10 days ago, all my tomatoes, plants and fruit were classic blight marked....so out they came

The potatoes were only a little bit blighted, a bit brown with the fungal patches in places on a few leaves.I picked off some of the worst and played a waiting game with them. In the week's heatwave they've got no worse and the bits have dried off and gone crispy.
I dare say with the next bit of wet/humid weather it will be back - but the spuds can stay there and carry on growing for as long as possible to maximise yeld. All the Old Boys are doing the same

[Falkirk Bairn]

late potato blight?

Is this blight?


potato.jpg picture by nickiit - Photobucket


If it is blight would the potatoes still be ok to eat? If it isn't what is it?

[zazen999]

I've merged your thread with the one with all the info on blight.

[Thelma Sanders]

looks like it to me.
My routine is to cut the tops off now, leave the potatoes for a couple of weeks before digging.

If you want some to eat straight away that's ok, but for storing it's best to leave them a while so that any spores on the soil surface has died.

[GreenTricky]

Hi, looking at the photos it looks like it but can anyone confirm is this blight?







If so, there are still a number of plants around these with no signs, whats the best thing to do, harvest all the tomatoes, even green on the affected plants, dispose of the plants, does the compost need to go as well?

Many thanks

[rustylady]

That looks to me like Botrytis Management Strategies for Botrytis blight & stem canker on Greenhouse   Tomato

The plants will die back above the infection, so if it is low down it would be best to cut your losses and dispose of the plants.

[GreenTricky]

Hmmm...these ones are outside and thought botrytis was normally in humid greenhouses, either way I can assume its not good and that the plants need disposing of, frustrating as the plants are packed with fruit

[Alison]

Would have thought it was rather late in the year for blight now.

[rustylady]

Hmmm...these ones are outside and thought botrytis was normally in humid greenhouses, either way I can assume its not good and that the plants need disposing of, frustrating as the plants are packed with fruit

Cut out the damaged bits with sharp clean secateurs and see what you are left with. By the way, whereabouts are you?

[GreenTricky]

I'm in Leicestershire, actually the comment its late in the year for blight seems reasonable, think I will move the infected couple to the front garden and see if they get worse before the weekend, if they do will harvest the green tomatoes and dispose of the plants

[rustylady]

Could you add your location to your profile please GreenTricky? Then it will show up on your posts.

Whether you move your plants or not you will still need to cut out the affected leaves / shoots.

[GreenTricky]

Well I thought it could wait to the weekend but looking them, all the plants have it today, picked the greens ones that looked most ok, everything else will be binned, frustrating, probably over a hundred good size tomatoes lost