[R6robbo]

Hi, due to the constant rain my plot spent the whole of last week underwater resulting in the
loss of virtually everything i had growing.
   My question to all you experts is this, all my spuds rotted in the wet ground, can i pull up the haulms and leave the soggy spuds in the ground (they,re very mushy, almost at liquid stage) to rot away or will they cause me some sort of problem later?
                                               
                                          Many thanks!
                                                            Rob.

[LilacSandy]

If it is just water damage and not something like blight then I cannot see that they will pose any problems for you.  If the ground is that wet it will be some time before you can dig it properly anyway.

[Kirpi]

I am inclined to say let them rot but they'll be others who will say this is a bad mistake.  My reason for saying this is if they have turned to slop already, they'll be nothing for blight to overwinter on even if they are in the ground.

The danger is leaving some potatoes in which are still sound, which will harbour disease over winter and come up to bite you next year.

It sounds like you need to raise the height of your growing surface if it gets flooded. Had you thought about strewing a few wheelbarrows of manure and compost and growing in that next year? Seed potatoes go on top of this and you just put a heap of straw on top for the potatoes to grow in and block out light. That way you'l never have to dig for potatoes; sloppy or not.

[R6robbo]

Yes its definitely water damage, not blight.
Ita my first year so did,nt realise i was going to flood, its not really rainwater thats collected
its more the water table rose and engulfed everything.
     I agree i now need to raise everything up and out of future danger, think i need to build raised beds and try n get my hands on several tons of topsoil to fill em.
                   Oh the joys of being an allotmenteer!!!

            Thanks for your answers!

[sunshineband]

What a shame robbo 

The only thing I can add to the advice already given is this - rotting potatoes absolutely stink, so if you do end up with a nasty niff, that'll be the reason.

Good luck with raising up the beds for the future

[flitwickone]

sorry to hear that m8 goodluck next year

[Ice]

Speak to your plot neighbours and see if this is a regular problem on your site.  Stating the obvious, it has been an exceptional year for rainfall so no need to do too much next year if the weather is kinder.

What kind of soil do you have?  It would depend on what you have to start with as to how you might proceed next season.  You can do lazy beds or more formal raised beds, but even if you do, you don't need to fill them with loads of expensive topsoil immediately.  You build the depth by adding compost and manure over time.

[R6robbo]

Thank you all you well wishers.

My plot neighbour (who has the other half to my half plot running lengthways) has built raised beds specifically because of flooding and did himself lose his crops 2 years running before he built them.

The soil is quite good to be honest, probably slightly more on the clay side than sandy side.
It definitely needs some organic matter to aid drainage i,d say, as i didn,t do anything apart from dig over and weed before i planted this year just to see how good the soil was.

From what i,ve seen so far the consistency is ok but i,d say badly lacking in nutrients, but
 hey at least i know now.

I was thinking of buying in topsoil to build up the beds ready for next years wet summer
 but as you say it is an expensive option, might do it the gradual way as you suggest and cross my fingers for a real summer next year. lol.

[Ice]

Clay soil is rich in nutrients but it needs help to release it to the plants.  Sharp sand dug or rotovated in will aid drainage and as you say, lots of organic matter as well.  Best of luck.

[R6robbo]

Some handy bits of advice there, which i will heed.

Its a huge learning curve to me but i,m gathering knowledge all the time
partly through my experiences on the lottie and partly through reading and advice given here, so i,m sure it can only get better.


                 Many thanks!