Monday, July 24, 2006

Help! Bad Potatoes!

Went out this morning to check the crops and the potatoes are not looking well at all. I've looked through my books but can't work out what the problem is. Does anyone know anything about potato problems???
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3 comments:

James said...

Hello Hazel,

I got your message on my blog.

Hard to see on the photo.

Is there a really pungent smell coming off the plants?

I'd cut out all the bad foliage back to the main stem.

You probably have blight though it doesn't look like the blight I had last year.

But, from the spots, it does look like some sort of spores are affecting the leaves.

Get some anti-blight mixture from your local supplier. Follow the instructions and spray on.

Make sure all the bad foliage is removed. Don't put it in your compost heap but burn it.

At this time of year you may well have stunted tubers but leave them where they are for a month or so.

Hopefully after the anti-blight mixture has done its job you might get new growth.

Plant elsewhere next year.

Hope this helps.

James Butler (The Good Life)

County Kerry

2:26 pm
Hazel said...

Hi James
Your blog looks great. I was reading it earlier today. Thanks so much for the help. Im going to follow your suggestions and see whether anything works. Its such a shame. Half the crop still looks really healthy, and its the first time there has been spuds growing in that patch so I didnt expect to get blight. Anyway, Im off to the garden to see what I can do about it.
Many thanks
Hazel

3:32 pm
Authentic Farmer said...

Hazel, Beyond what James commented, I don't have much to add. I do know this with certainty, plants growing in good soil don't get blights or insects. So, in the long run, it would be in your best interest to prepare next year's potato bed now, by adding lots of compost, and also some kelp for minerals...

JM

3:28 am

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