Aaarrgghh! tell me its not blight!!!

[Protea]

Definitive answer!

Cheers CC for all your help

I took a sample of the potato leaves to the RHS Wisley yesterday (i work nearby) and they said loads of people have had this!

It is a physiological condition caused by the very heavy rain we have had, followed by the cold nights (and even frost for some). It won't spread and is not bacterial/fungal/nutritional or otherwise. Tomatoes have also been affected although the symptoms are slightly different - the spots appear more translucent than brown. Same thing though.

Hope this helps everyone who was worried

[Hazel at the Hill]

Thanks for taking the trouble to get a sample to Wisley, and for letting us know the answer!

Was slightly puzzled to start with as I thought the quote said 'psychological' and wondered if I had to get my potatoes some therapy.......

[Flummery]

Glad to hear that Protea. I've been saying 'don't panic' to everyone about these spud and tom leaf markings. I would hate to have given them a bum steer! Mine still look ok apart from the odd few leaves and the new foliage is fine.
Panic off (till next time!) everyone

[Michelle]

Aha... just replied to someone else's post as I was panicking that I might have blight on my toms and possibly spuds. This is definitely the same thing on my spuds, and I think it's only the older leaves on the toms that look poorly.

I feel much better about it all now! Should I give everything a spray with some dithane anyway?

Thanks

Michelle

[Paulottie]

Hi Michelle, long time no see.

Don't know anything about 'dithane' but I've got some Bordeaux mixture. My spuds have developed this spotty thing after the last rainy cold snap at end of May. However I was harvesting earlies today (really good crop of 'Juliette' -recomended) and noticed some brown and drooping leaves though.

I swear it's not plantachondria here cos my neighbour agreed -'if we didn't know better we'd say thats blight' - Does look like it tho.... everything so early this year. Certainly watching closely and I Will post some photos on Fri. I'm tempted to give toms and second earlies a spray. Does anyone know if Bordeaux mixture is considered bad for my soil /us (organic sensibilities!)

[moggssue]

I have brown speckles on my potato leaves too and was anxiously reading the various posts on here whilst being philosophical about the whole thing and thinking that I can't possibly worry about every single speck and speckle, some of them must be natural/harmless? Thank you all for putting my mind at rest, and Protea for doing the 'legwork'!

[Protea]

Hi Michelle, long time no see.

Don't know anything about 'dithane' but I've got some Bordeaux mixture. My spuds have developed this spotty thing after the last rainy cold snap at end of May. However I was harvesting earlies today (really good crop of 'Juliette' -recomended) and noticed some brown and drooping leaves though.

I swear it's not plantachondria here cos my neighbour agreed -'if we didn't know better we'd say thats blight' - Does look like it tho.... everything so early this year. Certainly watching closely and I Will post some photos on Fri. I'm tempted to give toms and second earlies a spray. Does anyone know if Bordeaux mixture is considered bad for my soil /us (organic sensibilities!)

Dithane 945 contains 80% Mancozeb and is a protective fungicide for prevention of blight, downy mildew etc (the water moulds). You would use it in advance of blight appearing (when conditions are conducive to blight attack - warm and wet).

Bordeaux mixture is organic, and works in a similar way. It is a mixture of copper sulphate and hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide) and can be used as a preventative for water mould type diseases (blight, downy mildew).

[Protea]

Aha... just replied to someone else's post as I was panicking that I might have blight on my toms and possibly spuds. This is definitely the same thing on my spuds, and I think it's only the older leaves on the toms that look poorly.

I feel much better about it all now! Should I give everything a spray with some dithane anyway?

Thanks

Michelle

Hi Michelle - based on what the RHS told me, no, you don't need to spray. The weather isn't really conducive to blight attack and its a bit early anyway.

Leave it until it gets warm and wet, thats when you should start spraying if you want to.

[eskymo]

Is this Blight???

Hey

I noticed all these black spots on my potatoes today - I don't think they were there yesterday. These are the potatoes I have in pots and they've had a little yellowing on the lower leaves and I thought maybe it's a bit of magnesium deficiency and so I sprayed them the other day with a solution of epsom salts like I do for my tomatoes..not sure if that's made the black spots appear, then I had a panic andf thought that maybe it's blight.

The potatoes I have in the ground are fine and the leaves on them look a nice healthy green. the ones I have in pot are "Swift" and the leaves do look a lot more on the yellowy green side - not sure if they've always been a light green.

I'm worried as I've got very little space at the moment as we're in the middle of laying a patio and have just found out we can't get the sane delivered until next saturday and the spuds in pots are sitting right next to my tomatoes and I woudn't want them to get infected.

The black spots seem to be rediating from the centre of the plant with the inner most leaves being most affected.

Weather wise [if that has any bearing on it] has been rather starnge all week - very wet misty mornings, turning into humid middays and then sunny afternoons with coll evenings.

I've read through the posts above, but would appreciate you looking at the following photo's and let me know what to do...

[eskymo]

anyone know if this is blight as I'm not sure what to do...???

[dexterdoglancashire]

anyone know if this is blight as I'm not sure what to do...???

Eskymo - I have the same problem in a couple of my bucket tatties - any advice gratefully received Ta everyone. Bernie

[eskymo]

I think it might just be a deficiency because they're growing in pots...I've managed to move my two pots away from my other potatoes [in the ground] and my tomatoes...if it is blight, not sure if it can pass to my broad beans and broccoli and swede though and affect them in some weird way.

The leaves still seem to be yellowing more - does anyone know what is the right proportions of epsom salt to water to use as a spray as I've just been guessing as the instrcutions have washed off the packet?

[Two_Sheds]

Here's the link to Blightwatch, who will email or text you if blight is predicted for your area. You just need to register, its free
http://www.blightwatch.co.uk/content/bw-Home.asp

[eskymo]

a bit late, if I've already got blight...but thanks for the link.

[Paulottie]

Convinced my 2nd earlies have blight. started as spots and progressed to a few droopy leaves and a rotten stem or two. I have sprayed with Bordeaux mixture to try and slow it up.