[BARNACLE BILL]

I have grown my potatoes in the ground and in sacks. The spuds in the sacks are fine and have delivered a good yield. Dug up the first plant in the ground today. Noticed the had hard raised lesions. Google it and it seems they have Scab. Should I dispose of the tubers. Is there any problem with the eating them? after cutting away the infected areas.
Obviously this bed will need to be avoided for potatoes for a while. Is there any other crops to avoid? Also is this a transient disease or does the soil remain infected for some time? P.s They were second earlies can't remember the variety. Must start a diary next year !!

Thanks

BB

[Yorkie]

Scab only affects the surface and the spuds are fine to eat.

It can often be caused by a soil that is too alkaline.

[Mrs Bee]

Some of the Vivaldi we have dug up has a touch of scab. We still eat them.

[Flowertot]

I get scab on my fee draining soil if I don't water them enough. Some varieties are more susceptible than others. I just scrub them (or peel it off if really bad) and they are fine to eat.

[BARNACLE BILL]

Thanks I defiantly think there was a lack of water around April time ! So if the culprit was to alkaline soil ( which I will carry out a PH check) How do you acidify the soil ? Well rotted horse manure ?

BB

[Rampant_Weasel]

best thing is to find resistant varieties and feed with comfrey tea, i read somewhere the potassium helps reduce it.
lady christl and casablanca are resistant for fe, nadine, saxon for 2nd, but im sure there are many others

[surbie100]

As you can see you're not alone....I've got scabby Charlottes too. I don 't worry about the skins too much and only peel if they are really bad. Happens when I don't water properly, which I haven't this year. There's no need to worry about the soil etc. 

[JoshP]

They are fine to eat, only affects the skin, so peel away any bits you don't like the look of. Watering regularly will help reduce scab

[Tenhens]

We've had the same on our spuds, have grown main crop in the last two years. This year we have grown earlies . How have the ground ones compared regarding yield, you mentioned that you grew in sacks with a good yield.

[BARNACLE BILL]

The ground one I pulled yielded 5 spuds. To be fair they were on the large side. Albeit with scab. The ones in the sack I just dig my hand in and pull up the tubers. There are 3 seeds to a sack. I have only dug into the first 6 inches so there will be lot's more further down.

Definitely realised it was due to lack of watering early doors. Down to the advice of a fellow allotmenter who stated don't waste your water on the spuds.

We don't have a mains supply !

BB

[sunshineband]

Tricky if there is no water supply, BB. You are very much at the mercy of the weather.

Trying to incorporate as much organic matter as possible when you plant the seed potatoes might help --- well rotted manure, grass cuttings, cut up comfrey leaves will all be suitable, if you have them.

Adding some sulphur chips will slightly reduce the pH of the soil, but making sure your potatoes do not follow something like cabbages that like an alkaline environment will also help avoid a high pH for them.