Kitchen Garden Forum

Is this the dreaded blight? Do I need to cut the foliage off? They're first earlies grown in potato bags.

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Have you had humid weather?

No, just dry ... sunny ... Watered the potatoes well though.

Helen, forgive me if you already know this but don't water with a sprinkler or a rose on your watering can. This creates the humidity for blight. I also only water spuds in the evening so the water soaks in rather than the heat of the sun creating evaporation and thus the same humidity between leaves and soil.

Stephen, that's obviously where I've gone wrong. I have used the spray gun on my hose and given them a good soaking, all over! I've not yet checked to see if the potatoes are ready, but I'm thinking any time soon. Is there anything I can do to resolve the problem?

I'm not convinced your potatoes have got blight, having said that I haven't got an alternative explanation for the blotches.

Blight tends to be paler, have sort of rings in it and makes the leaves soft whereas yours still look quite stiff.



I wouldn't panic too much unless it starts spreading down the leaves into the stems and making them collapse.

I would agree.
As it says in the book - don't panic.

Many thanks guys

Geoff wrote:I'm not convinced your potatoes have got blight, having said that I haven't got an alternative explanation for the blotches.

Blight tends to be paler, have sort of rings in it and makes the leaves soft whereas yours still look quite stiff.

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I wouldn't panic too much unless it starts spreading down the leaves into the stems and making them collapse.

I agree with Geoff. pick off the affected foliage and see what happens!!

If I had to make a presumption at the very worst I would suggest that it may be a possible strain of mosaic virus exacerbated by the recent hot weather, but let's hope that it isn't. Did you plant certified seed potatoes? Most likely since you say that you are growing them in a pot/bag is that it could well be just a magnesium deficiency so try spraying with Epson salts; it is a little early for blight.

Barney