Grow Your Own Magazine

lynda66 · #1 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 06:47 PM

i couldn't wait any longer and decided to dig up 2 of my potato plants today, there were lots of small ones, but there were 5 decent sized ones, but all the big ones were brown and squishy, so what do i do, are all the potatoes likely to be like this, in the same bed, why have they gone rotten? the plants are still looking healthyish, though a few of the bottom leaves are starting to go yellow, they are still flowering, but they fell over a week or so ago, i decided to leave them, as trying to get them upright snapped a couple of stems.

so have they gone rotten because they have fallen over? and i'm now wondering, should i dig them all up and eat them small? or should i leave them and hope they don't all go this way ..... it's put me on a real downer, thinking that all the healthy looking plants are all going to produce rotten potatoes.

could it be because of the amount of rain? the ground was wet all the way down, not puddling, but i'm wondering if this could be why, but then why are the small ones ok, but the big ones not?

thanks

Lynda xx

Hazel at the Hill · #2 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 06:51 PM

The seed potato that you planted originally goes brown and squashy (vile!) - could it me that one that you found, or are there more than one squashy one per plant?

lynda66 · #3 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 07:13 PM

theres more than one squashy one per plant, all the big ones that i found, and theres no evidence of a plant growing off them, just a root leading to them, so i don't think it's that.

Two_Sheds · #4 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 07:30 PM

could be a combination of slug damage & too much wet stuff

If it was blight, your leaves would be black & rotten too

lynda66 · #5 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 07:53 PM

no sign of any holes in the spuds, (so i can't see it being slugs) till i poked them and they burst browny/black gunge out, i cut the spuds in half and the middle bit looks kind of shiny, not like potatoes normally look, sort of watery looking. with the rotten bit on the outside mostly at the end where the root was.

Snadger · #6 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 08:13 PM

Sounds a bit like waterlogged soil? Some of my Charlotte earlies were the same. You can't win with this weather, too wet and not enough sun they rot, too sunny and not enough water they shrivel.

Potassium shortage is another posssibility I would guess, as it is easily washed out of the soil and helps to 'harden' the plant and produce healthy fruit/tubers?

PS Just thought of something..........are these the spuds with loads of foliage? If so too much nitro can promote top growth and make the plant 'soft'

There you are Lynda............take your pick from that lot! Lol!!!

lynda66 · #7 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 08:33 PM

thanks lol ....... yeah, they are about a foot taller (3 1/2 foot) than the ones in the front garden (2 1/2 foot), though the soil is deeper than the soil in the front which i thought was why they had grown more, they had 2 lots of 7/7/7 fertilizer, since i planted them, it's weird though that the small ones are fine, and there seems to be plenty of them ....... it's a flipping pain this innit, i'm debating now whether i should just dig the lot up or wait and hope theres just a few rotten ones.

Demeter · #8 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 09:06 PM

The only thing like it under "Potato Troubles" in Hessayon is soft rot: slimy, putrid and evil-smelling tubers - but you don't say whteher yours smell. Anyway, I don't think that is it because it looks like soft rot happens in storage, also, the picture doesn't show brown / gunge.

So, um, probably what Snadger said! (cos he knows what he's on about)

Dig up the tall ones now and eat what you can? maybe leave the ones in the front garden to grow on a bit?

What a disappointment!

FB. · #9 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynda66

thanks lol ....... yeah, they are about a foot taller (3 1/2 foot) than the ones in the front garden(2 1/2 foot), though the soil is deeper than the soil in the front which i thought was why they had grown more, they had 2 lots of 7/7/7 fertilizer, since i planted them, it's weird though that the small ones are fine, and there seems to be plenty of them ....... it's a flipping pain this innit, i'm debating now whether i should just dig the lot up or wait and hope theres just a few rotten ones.

You mention gardens. Is the ground more shady where the problematic potatoes are growing?
Could they be in the duller part and perhaps chasing the light (making them taller) as well as suffering from wet ground in the shade (making them rot, or be targets for slugs and then rotting after the damage)?

lynda66 · #10 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 09:20 PM

*sticks nose in manky potato and has a deep sniff* ........ nope no smell

lynda66 · #11 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FB.

You mention gardens. Is the ground more shady where the problematic potatoes are growing?
Could they be in the duller part and perhaps chasing the light (making them taller) as well as suffering from wet ground in the shade (making them rot, or be targets for slugs and then rotting after the damage)?

the potato plot in the back garden gets sun (what there has been of it) from around 8 am till 4pm,(south west facing) the ones in the front garden get sun from around 1pm till about 8pm, north east facing so don't think it's that, the ground isn't dripping wet,as in puddles, just has plenty of moisture, but the little ones are all fine, not a sign of anything, and i'm certain it's not slugs, as no actual damage to the skins, other than being brown and squishy.

Wren · #12 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 09:59 PM

Hi Lynda,
If i remember rightly you planted tatties that you got from tesco after they sprouted in your cupboard . The problem with that is they could carry all sorts of diseases with them an you cant be sure what you are getting .

I would salvage the rest from that batch while you have the chance and maybe next year treat yourself to some certified seed potatoes.

I grew my Anya crop from sainsburys tatties and although they were ok , the yield was very low compared to the proper seed potatoes i purchased for my first earlies.

Wren

lynda66 · #13 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 10:09 PM

actually they were from the corner shop lol, couldn't find any seed potatoes at the time, and they had sprouted..... could this be whats caused the problem??

Snadger · #14 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynda66

actually they were from the corner shop lol, couldn't find any seed potatoes at the time, and they had sprouted..... could this be whats caused the problem??

Could be..........my Charlotte were from Tesco's!

Alice · #15 (**permalink**) 25-08-2008, 10:42 PM

My Charlotte were from Tesco
I grow them in buckets
I have 16 buckets and get 2 crops from each bucket. Never had a problem.
Sorry about your potatoes Lynda. To start with was with Hazel and thought you were digging up the spent seed potatoes - but if not, think you can only blame the rain. I do hope you can salvage something from the crop.

Two_Sheds · #16 (**permalink**) 26-08-2008, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lynda66

actually they were from the corner shop lol, couldn't find any seed potatoes

Ah. there you go then.
Paying for seed potatoes may seem a rip off, but they are certified virus-free.
your corner shop spuds may have had something nasty lurking in them, which came out once they started growing.

jaykay · #17 (**permalink**) 26-08-2008, 12:38 PM

I think my potatoes have suffered the same as lynda66's. I put it down to the rain (constant for 2 weeks while away on holiday and still raining in the week we've been back). The plants looked healthy before I went away, no signs of blight or disease, but the tubers have been mostly mush, white mush that didn't really smell. I did use proper seed potatoes but was a bit late planting out so concluded that as they were first earlies they should have been in, and out, of the ground sooner.

markwcel · #18 (**permalink**) 26-08-2008, 08:31 PM

could be hollow heart...something to do with wet weather after a dry spell

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