Blight!

[PreppingPingu]

My spuds - the Earlies that are just starting to grow seem to have blight on them already. I know the ground is damp and it has been warm down here in the south recently but really?!? There goes my first crop of early new potatoes. *sigh* Mind you I did get a success in my rhubarb today. I stewed up my first stalk and it was yummy!!!!!! My first produce of the year.

As for my spuds... because I am not sure if the blight came from the ground or the seed potatoes themselves, I will pull up all of my early crop as they are all affected, and today I planted some main crop next to them. If the main crop comes up and become affected straight away then I will know the blight spores are in the ground. As its my entire crop that has come up blighted I am hoping it was just the seed potatoes I bought. They are only a few inches high. Almost too small to get black/grey curled leaves!

Anyone else had early blight and if so how is best to deal with it? I am assuming that at this early stage the best is to do what I will do tomorrow and just pull them out and dispose of down the local dump. I wont put them near my compost.

[Yorkshire Andy]

what type of spuds are you growing might be worth trying some blight resistant varients..


if some spuds have formed trim the green off and leave them for a couple of weeks or so before digging any spuds up this should have allowed any spores to die off ...

how well spaced are the plants better spacing helps then plants dry out following rain and therefore reduces fungal growth..




http://www.varieties.potato.org.uk/menu.php?


http://www.thompson-morgan.com/how-to-s ... ato-blight

[jansman]

They didn't get clipped by the frost Friday night did they? That would explain black/ curled leaves too. It is early for blight(although gardening never did follow the 'rules'!).