2008 Blight or no Blight?

[alan refail]

I've just looked at my diary for 2007. I find that last year all my potatoes were suffering from very bad foliage blight before 15 July.

To try and avoid a similar disaster this year, I planted rather earlier. A few days ago I dug the remainder of my first earlies (Red Duke of York) and my second earlies (Nicola and Charlotte). The foliage had mostly died down naturally, without a sign of blight, and disappeared, and there was no sign of blight on the tubers at all. This morning I dug Kerr's Pink and King Edward. Apart from a bit of slug damage it was a good crop. There was just the slightest bit of foliage blight appearing.

My records would suggest that it has been every bit as wet/humid here over the past 6 weeks as it was last year - and this has always seemed to me to be "the blight capital" of North Wales - I have never known a year here with so little blight before the end of the first week in August.

Nothing was sprayed. I'm not boasting - just (pleasantly) puzzled.

I notice there has been very little mention of blight on the forum. What are other people's experiences?

[Colin_M]

Hi Alan, no we've had none on either potatoes or the outside tomatoes.

[Lurganspade]

Hi
Same here in Quedgeley.
Because of last season, I also planted much earlier, now all the foilage has died down naturally, with the exception of Pink Fir Apple and Rooster, which are still "growing".
No blight; long may it continue!

[Bren]

No sign of blight on my potatoes or tomatoes here in the West midlands either thank the Lord, My son dug out a row of charlotte on Wed.good crop, got to wait till he can come again and dig some British Queen next for me.
Bren

[Parsons Jack]

Hi Alan,

I posted this the other day in a different section on here.

All my potatoes are in compost bags, as the veg plot isn't big enough for them. They've done really well, and there are still 2 bags of earlies to get through yet. Most of the haulms are dying down now, so I emptied a bag of Desiree today, just to see how they had done. I was pleasantly surprised at the size of them. Some really big ones in there
Tomatoes are another matter though. There were a few Big Boy with blossom end rot on just the one plant earlier on, but this last week, I've had to cut out quite a few rotting leaves and fruits from the Moneymaker as well. The rest of them seem OK at the moment, and they are all cropping so it's not the end of the world. I only moved here at the start of the year, and never had the time to give the greenhouse a really good clean out. I think come the autumn, I'll have to clear it right out and give it a dose of Jeyes fluid. The last owner was here for 20 years, so there could be a build up of disease I suppose. In all the years I've been gardening, I've never had problems with tomatoes before, so hopefully next year will be better.

[WestHamRon]

Hi Alan, No signs so far here in Eastbourne, E.Sussex.

[Monika]

Our early potatoes (Ulster Sceptre and Kestrel) here in the Yorkshire Dales are showing first signs of blight so we have lifted them - no evidence of blight on the tubers.
We have also lifted Anya (because we wanted to eat them!). The remaining potatoes Lady Balfour and Sarpo Mira are clean so far.

Greenhouse tomatoes (Gardeners Delight and Subarctic Plenty) very healthy so far.

[Granny]

No blight so far in the Cambridge area. We haven't had much warm, humid weather - either wet and cold or warm and dry.
---------------
Granny

[JOHNBISHOP]

No blight here in Brighton, have just come back from hoilday in Dorset with our grandchilden, and this time last year we had blight on potatoes and tomatoes, so on my way home shot to the allotment rushed through the gate OH JOY no blight, so today picked,Runners, pots, toms, French Beans,cucumbers,Peas,carrots,and of cause my wifes Sweet Peas!!!
At the moment looks like a good year

[Chantal]

No blight here in Rugby, yet, which I find amazing with the rain and the humidity.

[Colin Miles]

All mine having been showing signs for a week or two now, despite spraying and have mostly cut them down. The older Heritage varieties Salad Blue and Witchhill seemed most resistant - maybe the latest version of the blight is less 'familiar' with them!

[FlowerPowerGirl]

Unfortunately, I seem to have the start of blight on my main crops . There is a picture on my blog http://plot35.blogspot.com/. No yellow outlines or white bloom though. Yesterday, I removed as many damaged leaves as possible. Has anyone tried this before? The spuds need a few more weeks to mature so I was hoping to avoid removing all the foliage.

Thanks.

[bottomleypots]

Hi,
Here in Harrogate in North Yorks the blight has caught up with mine and my neighbours spuds. Do I lift them all or leave them or cut the foliage off?
At the moment I think it will be too wet to lift them it just seems to never stop raining here
thanks

[Compo]

Have blight on my marmande and gardener's delight outdoor toms, also on the Cara which are all being dug now anyway, however, the Sarpo Mira have little blotches but not major blight, hope they dont succumb.

CoMpO

[Compo]

I Have blight on my marmande and gardener's delight outdoor toms, also on the Cara which are all being dug now anyway, however, the Sarpo Mira have little blotches but not major blight, hope they dont succumb.

My query is this, having cut all the haulms off my Cara and dug most of them, removed the haulms and bagged them up for burning, the site of this blight is next to my Carlingford second lates which are just showing, I have earthed them up fully and put cages over them with enviromesh, will they succumb is there anything else I can do. I dont want to spray....

CoMpO