Slimy hollow Desiree

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Southbrook
KG Regular
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:59 pm

I have recently dug my Desiree potatoes and found a couple of the large ones with interiors hollowed out from one end and full of slime. They are not the seed potatoes as they are identifiable. I've tried to ally this with soft rot, black leg or blight, but the symptoms don't match. A fellow allotment holder suggested slugs but their presence was not obvious or evident.
I'd be grateful if anyone has any idea what this is so that I can combat for next year.
Monika
KG Regular
Posts: 4546
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 8:13 pm
Location: Yorkshire Dales

It sounds like 'hollow heart' to me, Southbrook. It is caused by stress, usually when a dry spell is followed by a wet one. The unfortunate thing is, the potato (mostly the larger ones) looks perfectly normal from the outside and it's not until you cut into your baked potato that it shows up, not nice. Maybe Desiree is more prone to hollow heart? We have certainly had it in the past but I can't remember which variety it affected.

No 'cure' then, just regular watering next year.
Southbrook
KG Regular
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:59 pm

Thanks Monika. That would make sense. We did have a dry spell this year and I could have been a bit more proactive with the watering. That would also explain why I didn't see it with the Earlies.
Thanks again.
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