What to do next

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Plot74

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What to do next
« on: July 28, 2012, 10:47 »
I was at the plot and it seems a few of my potatoes have blight.
What should I do now?
Can you still eat the potatoes that look ok , I dug a few up and the spuds looked clean.
I know not to compost the tops they will be burnt.
Up till last week all the potatoes looked healthy  .
John
John
A gardeners work is never done.

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mattwragg94

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #1 on: July 28, 2012, 12:01 »
if you definately have blight, you need to cut all of the foliage off and burn it, your potato's should stay perfectly fine in the ground for a couple of weeks, providing the soil is kept dry!

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Yorkie

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #2 on: July 28, 2012, 12:02 »
You should leave the spuds in the soil for 2 weeks before digging them up, to prevent them being contaminated with the blight spores.

They are still edible if dug up immediately - the contamination means they won't store well.

Contrary to what matt wrote, it appears that the foliage is safe to compost because the spores only survive on live plant material.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days all attack me at once...

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angelavdavis

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #3 on: July 28, 2012, 12:03 »
If you plan to store them, remove the blighted foliage and leave for a couple of weeks for the sun to kill off the blight spores before digging up.  If you plan to eat straight away, you don't have to worry and can dig them up immediately.

Either way, check for tiny tubers left as these may carry the blight spores and reinfect next year.  

Mine got hit last week - looked ok two days before.
Read about my allotment exploits at Ecodolly at plots 37 & 39.  Questions, queries and comments are appreciated at Comment on Ecodolly's exploits on plots 37 & 39

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mattwragg94

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #4 on: July 28, 2012, 12:11 »

Contrary to what matt wrote, it appears that the foliage is safe to compost because the spores only survive on live plant material.

Oh well its just that ive always been told to burn crops with blight  :unsure: - does that mean toms with blight can be composted too? - it will be good if they can, as i always get a lot of toms with blight towards the end of the season!

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mumofstig

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #5 on: July 28, 2012, 12:14 »
The potato council's own blight website still says
Quote
If you grow potatoes, bag, bin, and, where possible, burn any affected plants.
http://www.potato.org.uk/publications/gardeners-advice-potato-blight

so that's what I will carry on doing  ;)

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Yorkie

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2012, 17:20 »
Well in that case, I shall carry on doing what I've always done, which is what the potato council were recommending.

Previously I was only repeating what Salmo (I think it was) said with authority and has been repeated ad infinitum since!  ::) :lol:

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Plot74

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Re: What to do next
« Reply #7 on: July 28, 2012, 17:27 »
Thanks for all the replies 
I have checked and it is blight will return tomorrow and cut off all the leaf growth above ground .
I harvested enough yesterday To last for a week or so .
I have a single row planted lates nothing showing on them yet but they are at the other side of the garden so will have to watch them carefully .
John

 

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