[wellingtons]

I had good growth on all my potatoes, but in the last few days one plant started to look limp.  Like it needed watering, no signs of blight or anything really horrible.

The leaves were curling up the plant looked lifeless.  I watered it well, but no improvement.

So rather than have the whole lot succumb to some mystery ailment I dug it up. The stems below the surface (basically where I had earthed it up) were brown, hollow and slightly damp ... not mouldy and not decayed.  There was no potato tuber attached to them.  Just stems into thin air.  Clearly why the poor old plant was looking a bit iffy!!

Could it be mole damage??  I can't find anything in any of the books vaguely similar.

Nearly two weeks on from noticing the problem with this plant, all the others look just as they should!

It's a first early if that's important. 

[JWK]

It might be blackleg, symptoms described here: http://www.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/Profile.aspx?pid=223

If so it comes from infected tubers so you probably have got away with it. Where did you get your seed from?

[wellingtons]

It was a bit like that, but no so drastic and the stems were cut off.

There is no sign of it in any of the other plants, but I will keep an eye on them.

Those particular tubers came from Wyevale Garden centre.  I normally order them by post, but didn't bother this year.  Maybe I'll go back to ordering from specialists next year.

[MoreWhisky]

Thanks JWK at last ive found out whats wrong with 4 of my spuds plants.

And Wellingtons i bought mine from wyevale to!!!!!!! Wont be buying from there next yr!

[beansticks]

Hi Wellingtons,i have the same problem,it started with one plant,which i dug up to find absolutely nothing below.A couple of days later another plant succumbed,to date six plants have just given up the ghost,no sign of any disease,or blight.The variety is Estima bought from the local garden centre.My Charlotte and Pentland Javelins in the same bed look fab.Strange

[madcat]

I bought 4 of a lot of different 1st earlies this year, so we could see what we like for the future, all from a good grower.  I cant remember the name - they came via the hardware/garden shop but were in the original sacks.  (Good pricing scheme - it was like a pick'n'mix.  Means you are always tempted to add the few extra .... )

2 of the 4 Home Guard when like this very quickly, within a couple of days, all of a sudden from being nice little plants.  They have gone into the incinerator.  The other two are growing on lovely and we can only hope ...   I hope they arent like yours, Beansticks!!   

[beansticks]

Hi Madcat,i hope yours are okay,what i cant understand,is that mine have been in for nine weeks and yet there was nothing under them.

[wellingtons]

Well I went to check last night and all the other plants look fine.  And the plant in question started looking iffy nearly two weeks and was taken out a week ago.

I may be lucky and have just the one problem spud!

We shall see.

[mumofstig]

Hi Madcat,i hope yours are okay,what i cant understand,is that mine have been in for nine weeks and yet there was nothing under them.

That's cos it takes longer than nine weeks for most varieties to make potatoes...my marshalls brochure says 12 weeks for earlies, i lifted one a few days before their 12 wks were up and got a few for a taste, but not enough, sowill leave the rest to grow on a bit