[Baldy]

Neighbours spuds... one type looking very sad, other variety (lates of some sort) looking fine. I'm thinking magnesium deficiency but I'm no expert. Any expert opinions? Also spotted similar on another plot - again only having an impact on one variety not another...

Cheers,
Balders

[mumofstig]

I'd keep a very close eye on that - looks a bit like early blight to me

https://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/intropp/lessons/fungi/ascomycetes/Pages/PotatoTomato.aspx

[Beetroot Queen]

Looks like the spuds on our site

[Lardman]

Looks like blight to me too. 

If you've got anything out in the open like spuds or toms get them sprayed.

[Baldy]

darn - didn't want to mention the bloomin' "B" word ...



Cheers,
Balders

[Beetroot Queen]

When you get the first sign of blight what is the thing to do.

Remove affected green and burn.
Stop watering spuds will that spread it
Give up and dig up all spuds.

Nowhere seems to give me a firm answer for watering etc

[mumofstig]

As I understand it - remove foliage, don't water, leave for 2 weeks for the skins to harden a bit, before digging for storage.

Dig up before then only what you want to eat right away, as you can spread live spores from the top soil to the spuds you are lifting, so they wouldn't keep.

[Beetroot Queen]

As I understand it - remove foliage, don't water, leave for 2 weeks for the skins to harden a bit, before digging for storage.

Dig up before then only what you want to eat right away, as you can spread live spores from the top soil to the spuds you are lifting, so they wouldn't keep.

Remove all foliage or just affected. Everyone seems to have a different way. I have a few and it is only a few looking suspect we have sprayed but I take it it was too late, others are just leaving really bad foliage in place and spraying dead stuff

[mumofstig]

If it's just a few leaves just remove those, spray everything else and fingers crossed for you!

If all the haulms have it, or it's bad site wide then I'd top the lot - things won't improve 

[Beetroot Queen]

If it's just a few leaves just remove those, spray everything else and fingers crossed for you!

If all the haulms have it, or it's bad site wide then I'd top the lot - things won't improve 

Ahh at last someone who just says it as it is, no fluff no nonsense. Thank you MOS  I removed any suspect and sprayed so fingers crossed. Its bad at the far end of the site so I am hoping 

[mumofstig]

You'll have to keep a beady eye on them, cos you may have sprayed too late to stop it .......

[Beetroot Queen]

Time will soon tell I suspect. Grrrr they were looking so great too. Not hoping for a bumper spud harvest this year

[Baldy]

Well, popped up to the plot at lunchtime and it looks like my LadyC's have had it - attached images from phone (not sure how clear they are) - looks like round concentric rings on many of the leaves which from googling seems to be a typical symptom. Some varieties of neighbours spuds are looking in a very bad way...
On the plus side my Sarpo maincrop are looking fine and dandy - supposed to be a very resistant variety. On the plus side (2) the LadyC potatoes are a decent size, and the ones I picked went down very well with a chicken pie...
So, for the remaining LadyC's - get rid of the haulms and leave them in the ground for a couple of weeks, or hoik 'em out?

Cheers,
Balders

[JayG]

So, for the remaining LadyC's - get rid of the haulms and leave them in the ground for a couple of weeks, or hoik 'em out?

Either should rescue your crop - the 1st is supposed to make sure that any blight spores die before they can infect the tubers underneath but does leave the possibility they could still be washed down to them - the 2nd removes that possibility but risks the tubers picking up blight spores as you dig them out.

Not trying to be negative here - I've used both methods and they both usually work.

[hiccup]

what do you spray them with ?