Blighted Tatties

Lardman · « **on:** June 07, 2008, 23:31 »

:cry:

2 of my anya tatties in a crate have gone down with blight (yes Im sure its blight) - even after being sprayed - They were planted the second week in march but I've not even seen a flower bud yet. The rest of the spuds in the ground seem to be fine, no sign of anything nasty but they are a distance from the infected plants.

Best course of action

Pull the spuds and burn the leaves / bin the compost?
Remove everything above ground and wait to see if the new growth suffers?
Ignore it and leave things as long as possible before the lot turns to brown mush?

I had a scratch around and the spuds seem to be as big as a pound coin - disappointing.

Big Jen · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2008, 23:36 »

Where in West Mids are you?. There has been a blight report in Leamington Spa.

DD. · « **Reply #2 on:** June 08, 2008, 06:04 »

If it is blight - they've had it.

The only course is to try & rescue what you've got & burn the haulms.

The outbreak at L.S. mentioned is currently confined to a pile of last year's rejected spuds.

What do the affected plants look like & do you have a photo if possible?

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #3 on:** June 08, 2008, 19:32 »

John has an excellent fact sheet about potato blight !

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/potato/potato-blight.php

iwantanallotment · « **Reply #4 on:** June 08, 2008, 20:58 »

There haven't been any reported cases of blight in the West Mids Lardman, are you certain it's blight?
As BJ says, the nearest has been way over in Warwickshire.
Hopefully it's something far less serious. All the best, please keep us posted?

Lardman · « **Reply #5 on:** June 08, 2008, 22:32 »

Thanks for the links and pointers.

I would have thought far enough away from the reported cases. It seems to be just the one crate thats affected, no plants in the ground or any sign of problems with the neighbors spuds.

I cut out all the affected leaves yesterday but there are more today. Its a bit dark for a picture but I'll see if I can get one tomorrow. Leaves are yellowing, black spots - white fluffy mold on the underside, stems are striated with brown mushy segments.

I think its probably best if the haulms meet a firey end, sooner rather than later. I'd rather not risk starting an outbreak

iwantanallotment · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2008, 00:57 »

Just a thought - do you think you could have potato cyst eelworm in that one crate, Lardman?
Please do check before pulling up the affected plants, as the root cysts containing the eggs can have dire consequences if any fall off and relocate or remain in the soil when you dig the plant up.
I'd burn the whole thing, crate and all, to be safe

agapanthus · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2008, 04:39 »

We had a lot of blight on our fllotment field last year and most people just cut the haulms off and burnt them, the tubers still grew and they were ok (mostly).

Lardman · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2008, 13:47 »

Its not a wonderful picture and Im sorry its huge.

I had been defoliating daily so this was 24 hours damage.

This morning the haulms were cut off ground level and burnt.

Id be surprised if theres anything that nasty in the crate IWAA, it was fresh compost from wickes, but I will check for nasties

Planning on leaving the spuds a few days then lift, add a few fresh peas, broad beans a nice gammon steak and a dollop of fresh parsley sauce.

GrannieAnnie · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2008, 13:55 »

Doesn't look like Blight to me, mine last year went brown from the edges inwards I think, but not spotty and yellow, but I'm no expert...

Chocolate spot? Botrytis thingy?

?

gobs · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2008, 14:08 »

It doesn't look like blight, I don't know what it is, but we had it before posted on tomatoes and T&M sent me some sweet potatoes with some black spots on, couldn't yet find out what it is.

Lardman · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2008, 15:14 »

The closest I could find online was this

http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Chromista/Phytophthora_infestans.html

The mushy brown stems sealed it for me.

Whatever it was its was spreading fast and turning my plants in to mush, best burnt I think. Once I've emptied the spuds out I'll take the jeys to the crate.

Beejay · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2008, 16:32 »

There is blight down here in Devon, so far only 1 plot. Just off to get some Dithane. :?

gobs · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2008, 19:42 »

Quote from: "Lardman"

The closest I could find online was this

http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/bioref/Chromista/Phytophthora_infestans.html

The mushy brown stems sealed it for me.

Whatever it was its was spreading fast and turning my plants in to mush, best burnt I think. Once I've emptied the spuds out I'll take the jeys to the crate.

Whereas, THIS is more like what I tend to get, no little black spots. These do turn very dark in time. Might be a different strain or some other disease attacking opportunistically at the same time. :?

DD. · « **Reply #14 on:** June 09, 2008, 19:50 »

Quote from: "Beejay"

There is blight down here in Devon, so far only 1 plot. Just off to get some Dithane. :?

Best tell the Potato Council, then. The seem to be unaware of it!

http://www.potato.org.uk/department/knowledge_transfer/fight_against_blight/blight_incidents.html?podlet_id=88

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