[Scotch Thistle]

OK, so I am getting stuck into my first year with an allotment, and thoroughly enjoying it so far but I need some impartial advice. The 'old boy next door' is obviously nervous about his spuds. I know he shows veg, and has won awards for his spuds on several occasions. I have planted a large chunk of my patch to potatoes, largely because the ground needed 'breaking in' when I took it over.

It seems to be working as they are doing really well, despite the lack of rain this year. I have 50 Epicure (earlies), and 50 each of Golden Wonder and Maris Piper (Maincrop).
Every time I see the old boy he tells me how everyone lost all they're spuds two years ago to blight, and that i should spray mine to prevent it. He sprays all his veg with various chemicals to prevent disease and pests.

He also makes fairly pointed comments about how a young couple were responsible for bringing the blight into the allotments and everyone was upset with them for doing so. Now I don't want to start using pesticides and herbicides, (although i did use glyphosate before i started planting to clear the plot), but neither do i want to loose my spuds. I live in a fairly rural area, and lots of spuds are farm grown locally. I'm sure this has more bearing on the likelyhood of getting blight than anything really.

Sooo, the question is,  what should i do? should i spray? if so what do i use? Are there any natural preventions i can employ?  I have been told that a very weak washing liquid solution watered over the ground will prevent the spores getting into the crop? (Will that actually work?). Any advice appreciated.

[Paul Plots]

Blight is dependant upon weather conditions and wind blown spores. The likelihood of one person on the allotment site being responsible is low and, I'd imagine, almost impossible to prove!

As for spraying to prevent blight in my opinion:

• you would have to do this every 2 weeks to discourage blight spores
• it would cost a packet on a large area of spuds
• it is not 100% successful
• I prefer to eat tatties that haven't had anything sprayed on them
• never heard of washing up liquid killing spores on the ground - I think if it worked commercial growers would be doing it

I keep my fingers crossed and my eyes searching. When we have been hit by it I simply (and at the very first signs) cut off all of the foliage and dispose of it. Two weeks later I can safely harvest the earth covered spuds as they have been protected beneath the soil.

Disadvantage is removing the "helm" / foliage stops them growing in their tracks but it does give you a useable crop.

See what others say and take your pick. As for your "helpful" neighbour... smile, agree and chat. I guess he is just worried that his tatties will suffer and wonders if maybe yours will get plastered with blight unnoticed and spread to his.  Daft 

[fatcat1955]

Tell him that they are a new type of potato which is 100% blight free, that will get him thinking. Only joking. Follow the advice previously stated and you will not go far wrong.

[daisy1990]

we are in an area that suffers blight and there are some varieties that are more resistant than others,  I would agree with previous postings having once lost most of my crop, the following year I sprayed fortnightly and still got blight (to be fair not as severe!) There is a blight forecast on line if you google, which tells you where it is prevelant, you could edge your bets and watch the forecast and spray if the risk is high?

[DD.]

Blight is blown in on the wind. You cannot blame an individual.

Forget Googling, have a look at this link on this very forum:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=56717.0

[Salmo]

Your neighbour has a good point whether he is show minded or not. The worst thing on any allotment site is someone who has blight in their potatoes and does nothing about it. They will probably have all their potatoes rot and blight will spread to everyone else.

Blight sprays should be applied when there is a blight warning. They will only delay blight.

The most important thing to do is to learn how to recognise blight. Google images is good. If you suspect even the slightest bit of blight ask your 'Old boy' to look.

At the first blight take the tops off your potatoes as advised in a previous post.

Organic growers choose earlier maturing varieties which bulk up by the time blight usually arrives.

[NN2Blue]

The spores of Blight overwinter in the soil and are wind distributed, affecting both tomatoes and potatoes. What amazes me is that on the plot here in Northampton people grow tomatoes every year even though they always get destroyed by blight.
I was given some tomato plants last year which were flattened before I could harvest a thing.
Not growing them this year, although I am growing potatoes.
Red Duke of York, Lady Christyl, Pentland Javelin, Maris Peer, King Edward, Desiree and Blue Danube - I like a variety!!
The potatoes are much less badly affected by blight than the tomatoes and of the selection I have grown this year, "Blue Danube" is resistant to blight in both the tubers and the foilage.
These grew very well in the drought conditions experienced last year.
I do not spray for blight.

[DD.]

I spray for blight.

2 years ago I was the only one on our site who had tomatoes, now most of the others spray.

Choice is yours.

[lancashiregardeninggal]

I grow organically and have never used a chemical yet - although each to their own - I grow at home as my plot hasn't come up yet - but when I did have an allotment it seemed to be very common on the plots and I think a lot of it is due to some people not practising good housekeeping ie not burning diseased plants or not removing diseased tubers from the previous year.  Me and my son don't eat loads of potatoes so I find it easier to grow in compost bags - although I do sometimes grow them in the soil - and I don't get any problems with blight.

[Kristen]

I assume there will be people on an allotment who won't bother to remove "volunteer"spuds, and am I right in thinking that "volunteers" may well over-winter blight from an outbreak the previous year? If so it seems to me that once you've had blight on an allotment its likely to return each year?

[Scotch Thistle]

I assume there will be people on an allotment who won't bother to remove "volunteer"spuds, and am I right in thinking that "volunteers" may well over-winter blight from an outbreak the previous year? If so it seems to me that once you've had blight on an allotment its likely to return each year?

You are totally right about the volunteer spuds on other allotments. In fact, the OBND actually has some, and although i suggested he may end up passing blight to me he scoffed.

But hey, i'm a newbie and what do i know.    I know both my planting methods for spuds and root veg have raised eyebrows on the site. Both methods used by my parents, grand parents and they're ancestors for generations, with great results.

[DD.]

Just to echo - you're right Kristen. Keep an eye on the blight map. As well as the "outgrade" piles I've mentioned elsewhere, another one that's bound to pop up is "volunteer crop".

[Paul Plots]

I spray for blight.

2 years ago I was the only one on our site who had tomatoes, now most of the others spray.

Choice is yours.

I grow tomatoes under-cover rather than spray. OH would (so she says  ) rather not have any than some that have been sprayed.

Although she will insist on buying the tasteless things they sell in supermarkets out of season. Heaven knows how much they have been sprayed! 

[Gandan57]

Presumably just about every shop bought potato will have been sprayed for blight plus other diseases, and an anti-chitting spray if they`ve been stored?

[Paul Plots]

Presumably just about every shop bought potato will have been sprayed for blight plus other diseases, and an anti-chitting spray if they`ve been stored?

All the more reason to try to grow as much / many as you can on the plot.

It tastes good and by golly it does you good!