[hubballi]

I am in Cheshire and there are no reported cases near me. However, I thik this could be blight on my Charlottes ?. If it is, it will just about finish me off this season as I have some main crop Roosters in the next bags and all my toms in the adjacent greenhouse.

[grinling]

Can spray with mancozeb to slow down spread. can you dig up this crop and store and burn the plants?

[hubballi]

I suppose I could as they are second early. Will it spread to my Roosters ?

[Salmo]

Almost certainly blight.

http://www.potato.org.uk/sites/default/files/%5Bcurrent-page%3Aarg%3A%3F%5D/what_is_potato_blight.pdf

[hubballi]

I have cut the tops off and put them in the waste bin to be taken away. If I need the odd Charlotte I will just dig down and pull them out as needed. As they will be eaten the same day there will be no risk of infection. What shall I do with my not yet infected Roosters ?

I suppose my greenhouse toms will now get it as some of the bedges of the leaves are turning brown ?

Ansolutley gutted  

[simonwatson]

If you've got plants that are not infected, now would be a good time to spray with Bordeaux mix or similar to prevent it getting to them.

[hubballi]

The Roosters have a few leaves with the same black spots starting but I have snipped htem off. Don't have any bordeoux mixture.

[BabbyAnn]

My experience of Roosters is that they are susceptible to blight so do keep a close eye on them.  The good news is that if it comes to it and you have to cut the plants back, they have in the past still produced a fairly decent crop before they were ready to lift (making you wonder what they would have been like if grown to full term!)  So fingers crossed for you.

[hubballi]

I have sprayed all the foliage with diluted soot.

[Aunt Sally]

Go and buy some bordeaux mixture, huballi

[Salmo]

"Bayer Fruit and vegetable disease control" is the popular produce for blight protection.

Why did you apply soot?

[potatogrower]

rather than starting a new thread i hope you don't mind if i post my blight pictures here on your thread to get confirmation if it is or isn't blight any ideas fellow lotty owners ? we had a heavy downpour last night followed by continuous rain, ground was slightly waterlogged but not bad and the potato plant this was taken off seemed like it was wilting. i'm planning to dig it up later.

[Salmo]

The lesions on Hubballi's picture at the top are classic blight with a lighter halo surrounding. Look underneath on a damp day and you should also see some white mould. See also the link in my previous posting for more photos and advice.

This could be blight but if the plant is wilting I suspect that is is something else, could be blackleg. If the brown spots increase rapidly it is probably blight.

[potatogrower]

think i will dig it out. all  others are ok and look healthy and dark green. i get the usual dead leaves at the bottom that come off with ease due to lack of sunlight but i will defo dig these out.

[hubballi]

Buying Bordeaux mixture won't be worth the money when you consider the cost of compost, bag and seed potatoes. It would be cheaper just to buy them from the supermarket.

Soot is well known for treating diseases, especially black spot. It also enhances growth so what can I lose ?  I don't want to use chemicals.