Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing FAQs and other Information => Topic started by: DD. on May 14, 2010, 13:17
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1 - Learn about Hutton Periods (https://blightwatch.co.uk/amateur/about/hutton-criteria/)
2- Sign up to Blightwatch (https://blightwatch.co.uk/home/register)
3 - Have a look at the advise from John on this site Here (https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/potatoes/potato-blight/)
With Blightwatch, you'll get emails or text warnings in your selected postcode areas of Full Hutton Periods, or shorter periods that have fulfilled the Hutton criteria.
I am currently updating this page, as a lot of things have changed since it was first written, especially in regard to the old Smith Periods and use of chemical control.
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Recognising Blight
The foliage (otherwise known as haulms) typically develops brown patches with a white or yellowish 'halo' of spores around these patches when the weather is damp or humid. The leaves themselves can also become yellow.
Cut off and destroy (do not compost) the haulms as soon as you ascertain it is blight (see picture for reference, though many more are available on google and yours may look slightly different to this picture). This will stop the blight spores entering the tubers (potatoes).
Leave the potatoes in the ground for at least a week to allow them to build up a tougher skin that will help with storage.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/Symptom_potato_late_blight.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Symptom_potato_late_blight.jpg
However, destroy any damaged tubers including those with a noticable rotting smell
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c182/G4IAR/800px-Phytophtora_infestans-effects.jpg)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Phytophtora_infestans-effects.jpg
There are blight tester kits available on the internet that you may wish to purchase to confirm blight before you remove the foliage.
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This link will tell you all about blight, Smith Periods and what to do. :)
http://www.blightwatch.co.uk/content/bw-Smith.asp