Potatoes hit by frost

[maytreefrannie]

I had potatoes growing in a bin with hopes for Christmas, I forgot to protect them from the frost and now the leaves have all wilted and are covered in black spots.

Am I right in thinking this is the result of frost?

Can anything be done to save them or are they knackered for good?

Asking this makes me feel like a right thicko as I know I should have thought about the frost before going off to my daughter's last week.

[FionaH]

Mine look pretty ropey too, sound much like yours, and they are in the greenhouse. My gardeniing guru friend says they should be ok for Christmas. So fingers crossed

[Snadger]

The only year I tried crimbo potatoes........mine got hit by frost!
I had them in a cold frame with straw packed around them but they still succumbed!
I did eventually get a crop from them, of sorts, about May!

[Alice]

You're right in thinking frost is the problem Maytreefrannie. Has all the top growth been destroyed? I wouldn't give up completely. You might still get something from them. You've nothing to loose now but I would make plan B - just in case.

[Two_Sheds]

The foliage won't grow back, it will just rot, so cut it off and compost it. Your spuds might still be OK under the soil.

[maytreefrannie]

The foliage won't grow back, it will just rot, so cut it off and compost it. Your spuds might still be OK under the soil.

Glad to know I'm not the only one this has ever happened to - thanks for the good advice.

Two Sheds - can you compost potato foliage? I thought it had to be destroyed in some other way (see, there, I feel like a thicko again), something about it being poisonous or something. Not sure about it, can't remember exactly what I heard or read or whatever - what I don't know would fill a book!

[Two_Sheds]

Course you can compost it. It may be poisonous to eat, but you're not eating it, you're ... composting it!

(People just say not to if it has blight)

[rustylady]

Course you can compost it. It may be poisonous to eat, but you're not eating it, you're ... composting it!

Just as you can compost rhubarb leaves, but not eat them.