[Geordie]

I've started digging up my potatoes as they look like they have got blight.

They are Cara potatoes and a lot of them have deep grooves in them like someone has cut a small wedge out (see pic).

Anyone know what's happened?

[Rich72]

Some of mine exactly the same. But don't know why

[fatcat1955]

This is usually caused by the tuber putting on a spurt of growth when warm weather follows a very wet spell. Just like this year.

[Nikkithefoot]

It seems Cara are more prone to this than other varieties IMHO. I agree that it seems to occur after rain followed by a good growing spell when the tubers are forming.

[compostqueen]

My Picasso are the same, which is no surprise as they are a Cara Desiree cross apparently.  I put it down to the weather too. Can't see what else it could be 

[Welsh Merf]

Another explanation, which I heard of Friday just gone, is that the grooves are created by the tuber growing over a root. There's nothing actually wrong with them; they just look silly!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . apparently!

[Yorkie]

I'm sure there's nothing wrong with them but I prefer the explanation related to the weather.  Splitting is generally a weather / water issue.

Bit of a coincidence for there to be so many roots affecting this particular variety, just in one year.  Wonder where the roots were in all the previous years? 

[fatcat1955]

The way i read it, Pot's are the same family as Tom's and as such are prone to split due to erratic watering.

[Kleftiwallah]

Yep, you've got it,

similar to tomatoes splitting and the same cause, uneven watering.

Cheers,    Tony.

[sunshineband]

My Picasso are the same, which is no surprise as they are a Cara Desiree cross apparently.  I put it down to the weather too. Can't see what else it could be 

 

First time I've grown Picassos, and had quite a few split like this, although adjoining Ambos were fine 

[boldondig]

My picasso were the same - due to the wet weather I did not water then at all so the slitting I have put down to the torrential rain early summer after the warm spring period . I got hit by blight end July and dug them early last weekend. Apart from some slug damge the crop is good with some really big jacket potato potential spuds.

[8doubles]

Genetically engineered so there is somewhere to put the butter ! 










Or too much rain !

[JayG]

Had a few Lady Christl with similar "healed-up" splits this year, which is the first time I've noticed it with this or any other variety, so I guess it's something to do with the amount of rain this year rather than underground obstacles (and it's nothing compared to the damage I can do when digging them up - always the biggest and most perfect spud wot gets it too!)