[Grubbypaws]

Went to the Olympics for the weekend and when I returned found that my Vivaldi's had horrible blight. I have disposed of all the greenery but what do I do next? The advise for mains is to leave them for 2 weeks to let the spores die off before harvesting but i guess that is so it is possible to store them. My vivaldi will be eaten within days. Should I leave them in the soil as for mains or harvest them and cook them?

[Yorkie]

You can lift those which you want to eat immediately.

My only concern would be that you lifted some, and intended to retain others for storage, and you 'infected' the storage ones by moving the eating ones.  But if all are to be eaten imminently, no problems.

[Goosegirl]

I grew Vivaldi and Charlotte again this year and got blight like you. I should have cut off the haulms as soon as I saw any brown blotches on the leaves but left it a couple of days - bad move. It seemed to spread like lightning. I removed the haulms and am now ready to lift them all. I think next year, I will halve the amount of tubers I plant, as my OH doesn't get them all used up soon enough before the blight strikes.

[madcat]

I've given up growing main crop because of the blight.  The second earlies (charlotte, maris peer, kestral, estima) are about mature by the time the blight hits us ...  tops off (calm down gentlemen!   ), leave to harden in the ground for a couple of weeks and then harvest and dry for storage.  They keep us going until March (and they start to sprout furiously).  So if you want to grow for the winter, you can.

Last year was the honourable exception when we didn't get clobber by blight.  The potato crop instead was very light because there wasn't enough water in the ground.  You just cant win!