Is It Blight?

[zazen999]

Sabina - have a read through here and esp have a look at tattieman's video. We have the same, but one look at tattieman's video reassured me it isn't blight.

As you can see, quite a few people have this at the moment.

[SarzWix]

That does look decidedly unpromising Marigold Make sure you check over the foliage of all your other plants really thoroughly, and take off anything suspect.

[tattieman]

Marigold007 that does look like blight. I was wondering if you had blackleg but the tuber would only have been rotten at one end.

Now that your plants have it I would keep spraying them but if they are flat on the floor just cut and remove them. Blighted haulms will still put energy into the tubers and you should still get a crop. If you cut and remove straight away then they stop growing.

Hope that doesn't confuse anyone.

[marigold007]

Hi. Thanks for the advice, ya'll. I got some Bordeaux mixture today and went to the allotment. I cut down all the Red Dukes of York and Edzell Blues because they are ready already. One of the Edzell Blue's stems was completely black and going mushy. I also cut down a few of the Charlottes and Belle de Fontenays that were close. They seem ready as well. I picked out the potatoes that were sort of peeping out of the soil. Some of the Charlottes are huge, and now in the pot. Besides that black stem, all the rest that were cut down were standing green with little brown freckles. After clearing the stems and leaves I sprayed the lot, even the ground and where I walked. This can be a nightmare for the obsessive person!

And then it poured down rain after I finished spraying! Do I need to go back and spray again tomorrow because of the rain?

Also, there are a couple of inches of stems sticking out of the ground. Do I need to cut more?

Thanks again guys!

[srodders]

Sprayed all my tatties and tomatoes with copper fungicide a week ago as a preventative measure. First spotted a bit of blight on Monday and now have only got haulms left on about 30% of the tatties! Fortunately the Tommies are indoors so should be OK. I am surprised at how quick it spreads, even having sprayed them.

[sabina]

I think that I might have magnesium definency. I am really struggling to get hold of epsom salts. (Mg sulphite). This is going to sound really silly, but is Milk of Mg a viable alternative (Mg hydroxide)???

[SarzWix]

I honestly don't know Sabina. I know that the bigger chemists don't seem to keep epsom salts any more, but the smaller independent ones often have it if you ask, and also 2 of my nearest garden centres stock it, alongside the blood, fish & bonemeal, sulphate of ammonia etc.

Marigold, I'm not sure if it's a risk leaving the little stumps of the haulms above ground, hopefully tattieman will be along soon and will know the answer. In the meantime, could you cover them up? With a bit of plastic or something to keep the rain off?

[womble]

Marigold007 that does look like blight. I was wondering if you had blackleg but the tuber would only have been rotten at one end.

Now that your plants have it I would keep spraying them but if they are flat on the floor just cut and remove them. Blighted haulms will still put energy into the tubers and you should still get a crop. If you cut and remove straight away then they stop growing.

Hope that doesn't confuse anyone.

I thought you were supposed to remove the foliage so the blight didn't travel down into the tubers?
Are you saying to leave them on?

[tattieman]

Marigold007 the spray should be applied when no rain is forecast as it can be washed off. It probably needs 2/3hours to dry on. Give the stumps a small spray with your fungicide mix.

Womble if it is early blight then just snap off affected leaves and spray with fungicide and the plant will still produce a crop. Late blight I would remove the haulm just above ground level.

[sabina]

Tattieman - do you have any advice on an alternative to use if I can't get hold of epsom salts?

Thanks!

[tattieman]

I think tomorite has magnesium in but you would have to check. I got my epsom salt at Asda.

[salilah]

salilah, how long have they been planted, and are they earlies or maincrops?

The most affected are Anya (which are main I think), then mimi (early), mayan gold (second early?) and international kidney are probably the least affected

Some have perked up a bit following a feed of tomorite (couldn't find any epsom salts!) but not brilliant. They are all in potato bags on the patio...

cheers
Salilah

[SarzWix]

Anya are second earlies rather than maincrop. The reason I asked how long they've been planted is because they may be ready and the tops of the plants starting to die back. They do look sickly when they first start to die back, but really they've just finished their job. So it might be worth a furtle beneath the soil to see if the potatoes are ready to eat if they've been planted for 13 weeks or so.
International Kidney are a maincrop potato that are lifted early to eat as salad spuds, so they wouldn't be dying back yet, but the potatoes may also be big enough to eat now.

[salilah]

Anya are second earlies rather than maincrop. The reason I asked how long they've been planted is because they may be ready and the tops of the plants starting to die back. They do look sickly when they first start to die back, but really they've just finished their job. So it might be worth a furtle beneath the soil to see if the potatoes are ready to eat if they've been planted for 13 weeks or so.
International Kidney are a maincrop potato that are lifted early to eat as salad spuds, so they wouldn't be dying back yet, but the potatoes may also be big enough to eat now.

I had a furtle! (that does sound a bit rude...)

The Mimi are tiny - marble sized mainly - but we'll try eating. The International Kidney I found was a good size - and the Anya several of good size - so it could well be the Anya are ready. They went into the bags on 28 March after chitting, so it is a bit early for them I guess. Mimi is the disappointment, as it was supposed to be a "very early" - perhaps I shouldn't be so impatient?

Tomorrow - hunt for Epsom Salts!
Thanks lots for your advice - much appreciated
Salilah

[Peppertom]

the potatoes that got blight were in compost only - would that have caused it?