If it looks like blight........

.... is it, even this early??

Way back at the end of April, I planted 3 of those plastic bag type of planters that you can buy after chitting my seed spuds - bought at a garden centre. I did 2 of Belle de Fontenay and 1 of Ratte. Used new planters and new compost and new fertiliser - it was also the first time I planted any spuds!

The Rattes now look like they have blight (had a look at lots of different websites and piccies) but it's only early July. (The Belles look OK)

My question is does anything else look like blight or will I just have to bite the bullet and destroy my first potato crop?

(First post on here and still very much a beginner gardener, but I always read this site and value all the tips that you lot give !)

Grateful for any advice please!

 

Hello Hilsbee

No it's not too early to have blight, it happen after heavy rainfall, which gives the condition blight prospers in, warmth and high humidy.

If you potato foilage is blighted,there will be at first, small round brown/ blackish spots on the leaves which in a few days will cover the whole of the foilage and the stems, which will then collapse!
If it is blight the only thing to do, is remove the foilage and either burn or bin it, do not put onto a compost heap!

It may not be blight, I have pulled out 3 potato plants in the last week that had gone brown and died, definately not blight. I have this happen over the years, occasionally.
I don't know the cause or the reason for it!

If you have only the three potato plants and no others or tomato plants nearby, hold on for a few days and see what happens. It is not as if you have a garden full, that would be a disaster.

Cherrio!

 

It could be just lack of water. Potato plants are very thirsty and soon dry up in pots then the leaves are very easily scorched by the sun. I disposed of one plant today, the foliage (what was left of it after the wind) looked OK but the stem had just rotted so the pot was minus any potatoes. The next pot I had a look at was absolutely fine with plenty of good sized spuds. So don't be too hasty to right them off

 

That's very helpful as it seems that once blight strikes, it progresses very quickly. Whereas, I've had brown patches for a couple of weeks and they haven't collapsed yet!

Also, my neighbour shares half my garden and he doesn't have the same problem and you would have expected it to spread.

I think it was the time I was away and it was very hot and they were short of water

I think I'll take a chance for a bit longer, nurse them a bit and see what happens!

Thanks very much for the advice
Hils