Scabby potatoes

[Poppy Butterfly]

Hi there,
I hope i'm asking this question in the appropriate place as i'm a newbie.

I grow potatoes that are more resistant to scab than others but unfortunatley when lifted they are still absolutley covered. I have consulted a couple of books for a remedy but to no avail. I change the site of my potatoes every year but still have no success.

I wondered if any of you had come across the same problem and how you overcame it.

Thanks in advance

PS I don't use chemicals on my plot

[Snadger]

You could be gardening on very alkaline chalky soil? ...........In which case you will always have problems with common scab.

Either growing in containers filled with compost or growing earlies in pockets of compost in the soil may be a solution!

[Poppy Butterfly]

ooh Thank you

I'm not too sure on what my soil is so I will investigate.
I have filled my raised beds with about 8000 molehills gathered from various parts of the South-East Northumberland coastline!!! so I'm not sure if that means it will be alkaline.

[jacob marley]

I was told once that to help with the Scaby Tater problem is to plant the taters with lawn mowings surrounding them in the ground it is supposed to work....jacob

[Two_Sheds]

here's an older thread on scab. Look at the link in my post at the bottom, it's really useful http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...scab_3833.html

[SueA]

I grow early potatoes in pots & tubs & don't usually have problems with scab but strangely this year I had a few with the beginnings of scab on them. I use multi-purpose compost & have been using boxed organic potato feed granules but have earthed them up using homemade compost from my 'dalek' bin. The only thing I can think of is that there may have been a trace of scab in old compost or plants I've added to the bins & this has survived. Other than that I know if your soil is on the alkaline side this can lead to scab & I have heard as Two Sheds & others have suggested that a layer of grass clippings at planting time can help.

[Poppy Butterfly]

Thanks everybody for all your advice.
I think i will test the soil and then adding grass clippings seems the way forward.