[Micks Garden]

I planted three batches of spuds this year in different areas (first time ever).
One lot in a raised bed got blight in about 50% of the plants, I'm going to dig the lot out tomorrow burn spuds and foliage.
Question : can I reuse the soil ? I had planned to grow root crops in it next year .
If i just leave it fallow for now , will it be ok for the spring .

[Sue Deacon]

My understanding of blight is that it is limited to only members of the solanaceae family - potato, tomato, deadly nightshade etc.

You should be fine to grow any other crop in that soil next year. But make sure you remove ALL signs of potato from the soil.That can be very difficult. I built my new raised beds on top of the old ones. I am STILL getting potatoes appearing in amongst other crops 3 years after I grew them on that site. They are coming up through over two foot of soil - and I thought I had removed the lot.

As the blight thrives in warm, humid weather I am wondering if you deep-cultivate the soil, get out any trace of potato, leave the soil to dry out (fat chance, I know) then cover it with plastic so it's really dry and really warm. Then, next year, grow roots then legumes in the soil. It should be OK to start with taters again in three years?

[Micks Garden]

I have attached two images , is this blight or something else ?.
I was away for a week when I got back some of the spuds foliage has gone yellow. For blight I was expecting brown blotches.

[Sue Deacon]

That doesn't look like blight, more like a deficiency of some kind or too much/little water.

[tagwex]

Definitely not blight. Agree with Lady Fermanagh, a mineral deficiency.

[Sue Deacon]

Don't think it's magnesium deficiency (a common deficiency in many plants today) as the leaves would usually have darker green veins and edges. It looks like nitrogen deficiency. Have you used fertiliser? If so, what?

What do you think Tagwex. You've more experience of growing taters.

[tagwex]

A good dose of 7 6 17 should give a good crop. Bit late now though.

[Micks Garden]

Thanks Sue & Tagwex .
I mixed a lot of compost in to this bed before planting, seaweed and horse manure composted last autumn I thought that was sufficient .
I'm trying not to use chemical fertilizers so will need to plan next years crop a bit better .

[tagwex]

Two bags of fertiliser and I was sorted. Excellent looking crop. So far so good. Must put up a photo.

[Micks Garden]

Went to a Hort.. advisor he tells me its black leg.
I planted 9 varieties in small quantities in 3 beds .
Two varieties are infected .
Just to try as many spuds as possible I planted a few varieties purchased from the veg stall in Tesco, so I'm assuming my problems stem from there , next year it will be cert seeds only .
As for "the dose of 7 6 17" the rest are thriving on my home made compost .

[tagwex]

Well if you had showed us a picture of the stem with its 'black leg' then you would have got the correct diagnosis as it is quite distinctive!!!

Here is a photo of my crop thriving on 7 6 17. The yellowed one shows a disease called Yellowspot.

[Sue Deacon]

You've a few chip butties there T!

[tagwex]

Sooooo common!

[Micks Garden]

That's some field a spuds, you must be feeding the Army . .

[tagwex]

You would be surprised what you would get through in a year. I will be selling some too. Also I give them away to family members.