Blight

[SueSteve]

**sorry, just realized that this should go under pests and diseases**
I was just chatting to a neighbour on the lottie, this being our first year, it is great to hear of others experiences.
He said that we will need to keep an eye open for Blight, once one person has it on the allotment, everyone will have it. And he can guarantee that we will get it, just depends how quickly we act, as to how bad it will effect us! As soon as someone has it we will need to get our potatoes up straight away.
Now, this is quiet a scary thought!
I have checked our potatoes resistance, we have Robinta and Cecile, which are both supposed to be very resistant to blight, so should we panic and get the spuds up asap, when it hits, or can we chance leaving them?
Thanks,
Sue

[SueSteve]

[Tee Gee]

we will need to get our potatoes up straight away.

Not so! just cut the tops off before the blight reaches the tubers there is no need to lift them immediately.

The only problem you might have then is; heavy rain might wash the soil off the tubers because there is no canopy of haulms to protect them, and the other thing is depending upon how long you leave them in the ground keel slugs might get at them, but then again these can still get them even if you don't get blight.

Last year mine were in the ground for at least a month after I cut the tops off (due to blight) and in the main they were OK apart from a few green ones that had become exposed.

[Miss Fenella]

What does blight look like?  Or more importantly what should I look out for?

Thanks

[SueSteve]

I was told black spots wit yellow around them.
But also told that if you see peoples potato leave going 'blue' then chances are blight is about as they have sprayed them with copper sulphate!?!

[SueSteve]

Not so! just cut the tops off before the blight reaches the tubers there is no need to lift them immediately.

Thanks TeeGee, it feels very worrying!!! So all is not lost if and when it happens then.
But what about the blight resistant pots, are they ok?
Sue

[OllieC]

There is a well documented story of a Dutch(?) scientist who time & again during the Irish potato famine said to cut off the tops at first signs - this would allow them to keep what they had. He was ignored by "the authorities" but it was later acknowledged that he was completely right & could have saved millions of lives.

TeeGee's right (which should amaze nobody!).

[Tee Gee]

But what about the blight resistant pots, are they ok

The key word here is 'resistant' that does not mean they won't get it I'm afraid, if they do still do as I mentioned previously!

[SueSteve]

Thanks :)

[Kepouros]

It depends on how organic you profess to be.  I grow mainly organically, but where my potato crop is concerned (it has to last me until next May) I sacrifice my principles.  Dithane 945 sprayed on at 10 - 14 day intervals starting before blight hits you will usually give protection for up to a month after everyone around has got it, and that extra month`s growth can make all the difference between little or no crop and a reasonable one.

A word of caution, however, where your potatoes are required to store you must leave them in the ground for at least 2 weeks after you have cut down the haulm to allow the skins to set, and you should remove all the diseased haulm from the beds immediately after cutting it

[jennym]

It's amazing how quickly it strikes when it does come, I took this picture last year to show how it suddenly starts in one area:

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's obvious when you get it; the plants just rot at an amazing rate. The tubers are still OK, but br particularly ruthless with any coming up the following year, as this is a classic way in which the fungus overwinters. It can only live in living tissue, and survives in overwintering tubers.

[Jitterbug]

Watch your tomatoes for the blight as well!!!  They are the same family so suffer the same problems.  Our lottie neighbours at the end of the row has already had to cut his haulms off.  We have not yet been affected - fingers crossed!!

Jitterbug