[mooncarrot]

Hi...I'm looking for some help in identifying potato blight please..
I'm growing 8 varieties ranging from 1st earlies to maincrop...I live in Norfolk and the potatoes are growing in large sheltered clearing in natural woods..
I dug up some Casablancas day before yesterday and all looked fine...but today some of the crop are ravaged by what looks like a fungus which I assume is blight...all varieties are suffering to some degree....needless to say it's been wet for weeks on end and recently it's been warm and very humid...thunder storms etc...
Today I've also had to remove fungus infected stems from tomato plants which apperared almost over night..
I've attached some pics in the hope that some one will be able to identify the culprit..
I've checked out the national blight map and it doesn't look good...I live in the centre of all the reported infections in Norfolk....
Any help will be greatly appreciated as to what to do and how,if possible to salvage any of the crop......
Many Thanks..
Bob

[mooncarrot]

Another pic

[mooncarrot]

another pic

[mooncarrot]

Last pic

[mumofstig]

cut all the tops off and burn them..............leave the potatoes in the ground for 2 weeks before lifting.

This is so the surface spores die and won't infect the tubers as you lift them.
I hope you've got a decent crop below ground

[Aunt Sally]

Do what Mum says - it looks like blight to me 

[Erfurt]

Yip blight

[mooncarrot]

Many thanks for your very swift replies....I was fairly sure blight was the cause but I was definately in denial.....
Ah well nature will do it's thing....but very dissapointing...
Now going to cut all the tops off over 400 plants and there's a fire ready to go.....hopefully there's going to be potato and more potato on the menu in 2 weeks time...
I've also approx 80 chilli plants of various types but I believe the blight they can suffer from is of a different strain...
Thank you again for your help...
Cheers
Bob

[maxyboo]

I'm in Norfolk and noticed blight on some of my spuds this morning .  My tomatoes seem unaffected at the moment but I bought Bayer's disease control sachets today. Just not sure whether to spray the toms anyway as it says on the packet to spray at the first sign of disease. I don't know if there has been a rush on but I got the last packet on the shelf. Was feeling a bit sorry for myself but these things happen and in this weather it is no great surprise. I guess I have been lucky in previous years.

[mumofstig]

I'd spray them now, if i were in your situation - not wait for them to get it.
The spray helps prevent the disease, once the toms (or potatoes)  have got blight it's too late  

[mooncarrot]

Well several pallettes,quite a few old pine branches and an old stump...which is determined to remain a permanent feature of the 'Ring of Fire' area... later and about 8 sheet loads of potato haulms that's about half of the crop  burnt.....took quite abit of persuasion to incinerate though I must say...The rest will go tomorrow.
All varieties were infected..they were
Casablanca
Winston
Vales Emerald
International Kidney
Pink Fir
Maris Piper and 2 I can't remember..

Really amazed at how quick Blight took hold and destroyed the foliage...
So far the earlies have cropped really well so anticipating maybe,just maybe having far more than can be used when I dig them up in a couple of weeks time...I got carried away when planting (nothing new there  ) so next on the agenda is to decide how and what to do with them just in case....
I don't think I need to thinking about any kind of crop from the main crop though...
I might be surprised though as I'm only starting out when it comes to growing spuds so all advice is gratefully received..
Got to say excellent forums...they've helped me out on numeous occasions.....

[Salmo]

Thank you Mooncarrot for posting the photos of blight. It reminds us all of what this horrible disease can do.

Why go to the bother of burning blighted potato tops?

Blight only lives on live plant material so blight ridden haulms can go on to the compost heap. The spores will not survive. If you are worried, put them into plastic bags for a bit first.

What you should not do is put potato tubers with blight on to the compost heap, either now or later when you find them in store. They can survive and regrow next Spring to be a source of blight for next years crop. Look on the early reported blight on "blight map", those marked with a triangle are from waste heaps.

The other thing that is often aired is the need to wait a fortnight after cutting haulms off before lifting. That only applies if you are lifting to store. You can carry on lifting for the kitchen as usual.

[maxyboo]

I'd spray them now, if i were in your situation - not wait for them to get it.
The spray helps prevent the disease, once the toms (or potatoes)  have got blight it's too late 

You're right Lesley, I was thinking of it overnight and am now off to spray them. Someone was trying to tell me this morning that potato and tomato blight are 2 different things so my tomatoes should be ok but I wasn't convinced. Been working all morning though so hope everything looks ok.

[Eblana]

Thanks for the photos.  I thought I might have blight on my potatoes but it doesn't look anything like your photos - I have brown blotches in the middle of some of the leaves on my potatoes anyone any idea what this might be (will try to get some pictures tonight).  I have sprayed for blight every 2 to 3 weeks because there was an outbreak locally back at the beginning of June.

[mooncarrot]

Thanks for that Salmo.....

I'll continue lifting as and when required ( often  ) and see how it goes from there.
Lifted some International Kidney yesterday and they were the best..nothing could blight that flavour sensation....
Thanks to all the advice on here I'm now a little wiser which can only be a good thing.

Cheers