[zestymordant]

Hi there,

Potatoes been in for about 15 weeks now, put nematodes in just over a week ago. The potatoes were previously a green and the vegetation was very thick, haven't paid the potatoes much attention in the last week and they mainly seem to have gone a paler green/yellow, the vegetation is nowhere near as thick as it was. The stems seem okay, but as for the state of the leaves.... the two pictures will explain better. Is this the normal death of the plants as the potatoes are entering the final stages or do I have a problem?

Thanks everybody!

[sunshineband]

The leaves at the top definitely show blight infection, so time to cut the haulms right down. Leave the potatoes for two weeks before digging them up (unless you are going to eat them that day) to let the spores on the surface of the soil die off, and not infect the tubers.

It has been a bad year for blight, so you are far from being alone 

Dispose of the haulms somewhere they will not continue to spread infection - ours go to the council via our green recycling bins, as they steam heat the compost made and this kills anyhting lurking 

[zestymordant]

Well <bleep>.

When you say cut the haulm off, do you basically mean chop the entire plant down? If I do leave it two weeks will the potatoes be okay, apart from being small as harvested three weeks early? Also is this something I have to do as soon as possible?

I did check the blight map earlier on today and where I live wasn't one of the affected areas, oh well, ish happens I suppose.

Thanks for your response anyway!

[fatcat1955]

Cut them down to about 3 inches. leave for 2 weeks to allow thw spores to die then dig up the spuds. check them carefully for any brown patches before storing them and i would check them fortnightly therafter.

[mumofstig]

The longer you leave them the more chance that blight will reach the tubers, apart from spreading the disease to others.

When you dig them up in 2 weeks time inspect each tuber to take out any that are rotting before you store them. It's a good idea to check them every couple of weeks and remove any that are going bad, the smell gives them away!

[sunshineband]

Aw Yuss - once smelt, never forgotten

Bleugh!