Kitchen Garden Forum

I dug up some of my Smile potatoes and they were either all mush like you'd expect the mother spud to be like or they had spots on them going to mush. The foliage was dry and withered but no sign of blight on them so I assumed the dry or just spent. There are others dry like these bt some are still healthy looking.

My Cara and King Edwards are absolutely fine - all green and healthy so I'd expect if it was blight they and my toms would be affected also. I only have one row of them as thought they would look good to show but don't rate them as a cooker as they go from hard to mush in a blink of an eye.

I've had one near miss from Blight Watch so doubt it is Blight but anyone have any idea what it might be?

Westi

Westi, the foliage sounds just like our 'Kestrel' (see my thread on this forum) though the very few potatoes below were ok. Another allotment holder on our site has had the same problem with 'Kestrel' and another with a different variety (possibly 'Swift'). I blame it on the cold nights we had in early June. Perhaps your 'Smile' are also susceptible to cold?

All our other potatoes (same treatment, same site) are looking very healthy.

I was just wondering if it could be Black Leg, this can rot the potatoes if the tops are left.

I've dug up the rest of the ones that looked dead and they were all fine with quite a good crop of unaffected spuds. Makes me wonder if there is some type of fungi or such in the spot where these were???

Anyway nearly time to worry about real blight, so hopefully what ever it is hopefully will be gone before spuds go in there again..

Westi

It's not just blight you have got to worry about, from Saturday.

Thinking I might have to go to Bedfordshire next week - will you be in if I pop round? - ohh shame!

Westi

(Enjoy but watch the horse riding or you might meet some of my coleagues in the 'not so excelling' hospital near mine. They take the
breaks we take the strokes and heart attacks - thinking of which be careful
around Studland)