[mum23kids]

Hi - popped up to the allotment today for a last weed before half term holidays and notice a few of my potato plants looked yellow and smaller than the others. It was the end 2 near the grass path and a couple of others. Pulled a leaf and it came away in my hand - the stem was mushy and rotten. Have spent a while looking on internet (!) - is this blackleg?

I did remove a couple of the plants - should I remove all that look dodgy? They were certified seed potatos (homeguard and vivaldi) - could I have prevented it or was it the weather? rainy then hot?

Any advice gratefully received - am thinking I'll have to go back up tomorrow and dig them out completely. :-(

Thanks

E

[Yorkie]

It could be.

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=223

Or did you check for other damage to the stems - could they have been nicked with a spade / hoe, or walked on as you passed?

[mum23kids]

Thanks yorkie,

I'd like to say I could have nicked them with the hoe, but they were too weedy for that! I went back this evening and dug the affected ones out. The whole root system was mushy.

It got dark on me so I'll check tomorrow to see if any others look on the way out. It's a shame as some of the pots are starting to flower so they don't have long left...

If it's a bacteria is there anything I can do to the soil or do I just take my chances?

Regards

E

[Yorkie]

No, there's no chemical control according to the rhs page.  And neither are there any legal products to treat the soil afterwards.

Just rotate properly.

[mum23kids]

Thanks Yorkie,

Don't worry I am a rotator! The pots were put in the one part of my allotment that I had yet to clear until this spring. It must have been over 5 years since anything grew there other than weeds and spanish bluebells!

By the way, what is the best way of sterilising a spade? I was going to hold it over the BBQ next time we light it but feel there should be a more "professional" way!

thanks again

E

 

[Yorkie]

Ordinary disinfectant or Jeyes fluid will do.

[PAULW]

Jeyes fluid is only licenced as a patio cleaner, it is not as a soil sterilizer the bits that did this have been removed please do not promote the illegal use of chemicals

[Casey76]

Paul, I believe Yorkie was saying to dip the spade in Jeyes fluid, to sterilize the blade... not to sterilize the soil.

[DD.]

Quite right Casey,

Yorkie was answering this question and got jumped on without justification.

By the way, what is the best way of sterilising a spade? I was going to hold it over the BBQ next time we light it but feel there should be a more "professional" way!
 

[DD.]

By the way, people, last time I checked "steralise"didn't have a "z" in it this side of the Atlantic!

[Yorkie]

Jeyes fluid is only licenced as a patio cleaner, it is not as a soil sterilizer the bits that did this have been removed please do not promote the illegal use of chemicals

If you had bothered to read my earlier post I had clearly stated that there is no legal way to sterilise the soil, and that I was clearly responding to the more recent question about sterilising the spade.

[mum23kids]

Thanks Yorkie, that's great (sorry you got hassled!). A perfect answer for a clear question.
Spade will be sterilised in the sink with Jeyes.

No-one can object to that can they!

Regards
E