Grow Your Own Magazine

Help! I've just been "patrolling" my patch tonight with a torch and have noticed small brown patches on the upper side of some of my "christmas" potatoes! They are only small brown patches - not as bad as the diagram in dr hessayons book. I planted them some time ago (carlingfords from adam) and they have been doing really well. They didnt have these patches on yesterday. Is this the first signs of blight? If so what can I do? I read in dr hessayon that I could spray mancozeb on the leaves. Any ideas where I could get this from? thanks in advance! a worried DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Could it be a bit of frost damage Dexter since last night we had our first frost Have turned up the heating and covered the windscreen - the upside is at least it won't rain for a while.

You could try spraying with an infusion of mares tail or bordeaux mixture as a precaution DDL. Hope it isn't the dreaded blight but better safe than sorry.

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Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Blight usually arrives with warm damp weather. This time of the year it's more likely to be wind or frost damage. Are the plants outside or inside?

They are my christmas tatties outside RL. Thanks for the advice - yes it could be frost as we had a slight frost on tuesday night - and an even worse one last night, and even colder to come tonight. DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

I agree I think it could be frost if blight the leaves stay firm if frost they will go black and floppy!!

Hi DDL, are your potatoes in a container outside? If they are I'd wrap some fleece around the container & over the top to stop the frost getting at them, I wrapped a fleece bag over mine yesterday, you could earth them up a bit also to protect the leaves.

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

Thanks for your advice! Just got home and looked at my tatties! Poor things! all shrivelled up and frozen! (the leaves, not the actual spuds!) Guess the spots were frost damage - so have just spent half an hour running round like a headless chicken covering them with the fleece I got off ebay - should've done it yesterday, but boy! am I learning - and quick! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Isnt all gardening trial and error if the weather dont get you the bugs do !! How do we ever get any produce!!

Thanks UG! I feel really stupid for not covering my spuds last night - was so concerned about getting the new heater working in the greenhouse, I (silly me!) thought the spuds would be OK! live and learn as we go! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

I hope the spuds pick up ok DDL.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

Thanks EB! They are still covered and I havent had a peep - mind you, it's too dark now! Will have a look tomorrow - have read that tatties do pick up after frost - so fingers crossed! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

If they do survive and for those with them inside, Blight is a major problem with Xmas potatoes. You really do need to spray even before there are any symptoms. We always used Copper sulphate rather than any modern chemical like Hessayon says. Most decent Garden centres used to sell it, but who knows these days!

Thanks for that P. I hadnt realised that blight was a problem with christmas potatoes. will have a look in the garden centre today! Thanks! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Managed to get some P! Will be spraying this afternoon. Have also got a bale of straw to spread over as well to provide some protection. Many thanks for the advice. DDL PS read up on t'internet about the stuff recommended in dr H's book - blimey! wouldnt want that stuff anywhere near anything I was going to eat!

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

Hi DDL, hope your spuds are picking up now you've got them all wrapped up & in intensive care! As for Dr. Hessayon, I use his book to look up pests & diseases but wouldn't use any of the sprays he recommends as most of them sound deadly to everything else as well as what you are trying to get rid of!

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

My edition of the veg book was def written before some of the real nasties were banned. I also ignore what he says re sprays. I have a lovely little Lawrence Hills Organic Gardening book that I refer to for a more eco-friendly solution.

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Bright Blessings
Earthbabe
If at first you don't succeed, open a bottle of wine.

I've got a few quite old gardening books which I bought second hand & they have photos of gardeners wearing enormous back-pack sprayers containing such delights as DDT & nicotine! Should have been sold with a health warning attached!

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Into every life a little rain must fall.

I brought my Christmas spuds in to the polytunnel 10 days ago because of the gales and the forecast frost, but I noticed today that all the leaves are dying. I thought perhaps it was because I hadn't watered them enough, but realise it might now be blight! Oh dear. Four of my pots haven't even got any leaves coming through at all yet.

suggest you spray with copper sulphate asap- you'll have the fungal spores in the PT now! You may yet save them!

Oh Jennie - I do hope not! Hope they are OK, keep me posted - we can compare notes! DDL

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Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things