Topic: more blight questions – sorry!

[norfolklass]

I have searched on here but there are SO many posts on blight at the moment I couldn't find the answer.
apologies if this has already been covered somewhere, but here are my questions:

A. my 2nd earlies got blight and I cut off the foliage and left the spuds in the ground (they're still there). I have some chitted maincrop that I want to try and do the spuds-at-christmas thing with but I want to plant them in a bed next to the 2nd earlies so I don't mess up my carefully planned rotation!
my question is: how long does blight hang around on the surface of the soil and will they be OK or is it a risk to have them next to an infected bed?

B. everyone on our site got blight this year, either on their spuds or toms, and lots of people cut off the infected foliage. but instead of burning it, there are now several piles rotting away on various overgrown vacant plots >:(
my question is again: how long does blight hang around for and are we all guaranteed to get it again next year because of this?

thanks peeps for your patience and help, much appreciated as always ;D

[Tee Gee]

Difficult one this because blight is an airborne disease meaning that once the ground dries out, including the spores, they will take off again and could land anywhere.

So for all you know if you were to be affected again the spores might not even have come from your own plot.

I think weather conditions will determine if you get it again.

But to be quite honest we are talking a different time in the year so normally I would not expect to be affected if I did what you are contemplating, but then again I do not have a crystal ball e.g.

Who could have predicted the mildest winter ever, the hottest April the wettest June?

My view is go for it what have you to lose?

[norfolklass]

thanks TeeGee, I'll give it a try and see how they go :)
hoping like everyone else for a nice long Indian summer!

[Kepouros]

Sorry Norfolk Lass, but I have to disagree with Tee Gee.  I posted on a similar thread on the Edible Plants board a couple of days or so ago.

The reasons are these.  Although the blight spores do not survive on the surface of soil for more than 2 - 3 weeks, they can happily survive indefinitely as long as there is any viable solanummatter on which to live, and this would include diseased but not completely decomposed haulm, infected tubers, and even infected seed pods.  The discarded piles of these are, in fact, some of the very sources from which the blight outbreaks start every summer as soon as there is a "Smith Period" - a combination of temperature and humidity which is quite feasible for many weeks yet.

In view of the slovenly horticultural habits of your neighbours I think you would have every chance of the blight recurring.