Hello, I'm new (to the forum and growing things)
I'm trying to grow new potatoes - all was going well with very healthy looking green growth. Then I noticed some brown spots. Within a week half the plants have yellow leaves covered in brown spots. The stems are also yellow and just fall out of the ground when touched.
I've looked in my "vegetable expert" and can't find a trouble which seems to match. It doesn't look much like the photos of blight.
Any suggestions?
Potato Troubles
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Doctor Deb
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Sorry, I can't tell you what it is, but mine went the same way. The good news, however, is that the potatoes were fine and gave quite a good crop.Have you tried harvesting any?
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Jenny Green
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Could it be something like blackleg? It could be there's nothing wrong with the leaves except for the fact that they're dying because the stems have rotted at ground level. I got this once with a load of dodgy tubers.
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Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
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bigpepperplant
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could it just be that your potatoes are ready and the plant is naturally dying?
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Cider Boys
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Being optimistic I'm inclined to favour bigpepperplant's suggested explanation. Living in Cornwall your potatoes should be ready, if planted in good time. We have been lifting our new potatoes for two weeks here in Somerset. Did you notice the plants flowering if so they will be ready.
However pessimistically Jenny's suggestion of Blackleg is possible since it favours wet weather early in the season.
There is no treatment so all you can do is lift the tubers and see if they are ok,I hope they are.
Best of luck
Barney
However pessimistically Jenny's suggestion of Blackleg is possible since it favours wet weather early in the season.
There is no treatment so all you can do is lift the tubers and see if they are ok,I hope they are.
Best of luck
Barney
newveggiegrower wrote:Hello, I'm new (to the forum and growing things)
I'm trying to grow new potatoes
Hi - Welcome to the forum, seems the knowledgible ones have given you some good advice.
I just wanted to add that you can be thankful you don't live on the European mainland 'cos I'm starting my annual battle with the dreaded Colarado beetle which absolutely loves potatoe leaves and it can destroy a plant overnight
These little blighters are unknown in UK.Regards
Hello Newveggiegrower
As others have said there is nothing that can be done now to rescue your plants. However if you have a crop of tubers underground, lift them and store them in slightly moist peat or similar. In the past I've used those woven plastic bags or even supermarket bags as the container and left them open at the top. The potatoes will keep that new freshly dug taste and texture for sometime. I know the advice is never to store pots in plastic bags but for a short time this works well, especially with the peat there (also excludes the light). The peat of course can be re-used.
Get rid of the haulms and original parent potatoes - burn or bin.
John
As others have said there is nothing that can be done now to rescue your plants. However if you have a crop of tubers underground, lift them and store them in slightly moist peat or similar. In the past I've used those woven plastic bags or even supermarket bags as the container and left them open at the top. The potatoes will keep that new freshly dug taste and texture for sometime. I know the advice is never to store pots in plastic bags but for a short time this works well, especially with the peat there (also excludes the light). The peat of course can be re-used.
Get rid of the haulms and original parent potatoes - burn or bin.
John
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What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning Werner Heisenberg
I am a man and the world is my urinal
Hi NVG,
I take it that the black spots are occurring on what is good dark green foliage so this really puts Biggerplant's and Barney's theory out of the picture.
The fact that these are new potatoes doesn't mean that the plant has not a couple of months growth before it comes to the end of it's life and starts to decline albeit the spuds would not be the size that you are after.
When a potato plant comes to the end of it's growing life the leaves turn yellowish green then yellow and then may get the odd black patch which would be the norm.
I feel that there is something untoward going on but to be able to pinpoint it at present is beyond me.
I would suggest that when you finally harvest your spuds that all the waste is burnt and you must make sure that all the potatoes are removed and that any volunteers appearing next year should be removed whole and burnt.
There are several diseases that are carried by potatoes and this includes blight where the mycelium overwinters in the spud.
I should harvest your crop as soon as possible whatever the results.
JB.
I take it that the black spots are occurring on what is good dark green foliage so this really puts Biggerplant's and Barney's theory out of the picture.
The fact that these are new potatoes doesn't mean that the plant has not a couple of months growth before it comes to the end of it's life and starts to decline albeit the spuds would not be the size that you are after.
When a potato plant comes to the end of it's growing life the leaves turn yellowish green then yellow and then may get the odd black patch which would be the norm.
I feel that there is something untoward going on but to be able to pinpoint it at present is beyond me.
I would suggest that when you finally harvest your spuds that all the waste is burnt and you must make sure that all the potatoes are removed and that any volunteers appearing next year should be removed whole and burnt.
There are several diseases that are carried by potatoes and this includes blight where the mycelium overwinters in the spud.
I should harvest your crop as soon as possible whatever the results.
JB.
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newveggiegrower
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You have all been very kind with your advice and posts.
I dug up one of the plants and there were 5 "normal" size new potatos and several tiny marbles. So I don't think the potatos are ready - the plants didn't flower. Although maybe 5 is all I get per plant?
The stems below the soil were yellow.
I think I shall see how the other plants go - I have a row of Charlotte which are all yellow now but the Jersey Royals are covered in brown spots but not turning yellow.
I'll take the advice to burn all the leaves etc.
What shall I do next year? Should I choose a different type? Is my soil sick or something?
I dug up one of the plants and there were 5 "normal" size new potatos and several tiny marbles. So I don't think the potatos are ready - the plants didn't flower. Although maybe 5 is all I get per plant?
The stems below the soil were yellow.
I think I shall see how the other plants go - I have a row of Charlotte which are all yellow now but the Jersey Royals are covered in brown spots but not turning yellow.
I'll take the advice to burn all the leaves etc.
What shall I do next year? Should I choose a different type? Is my soil sick or something?