The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: plumseverywhere on June 29, 2012, 07:43:29 pm

Title: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 29, 2012, 07:43:29 pm
Noticed yesterday that some of our main crop have developed yellow leaves with brown spots on. I've had text alerts from Blight watch to say its in our area but from the pictures I've googled of blight, these don't quite look the same?
Is there anything else it could be? I have pulled out and burned the offending plants to be safe, the tubers were tiny.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 29, 2012, 08:42:51 pm
it might not have been blight!! in my experience blight starts on green leaves, yellowing is normally a .sign of nitrogen deficiency, it sounds like they need a good feed, cut the dodgy leaves off and feed them, how good is the soil  they're growing in?
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: Dans on June 30, 2012, 12:32:38 am
I had something similar. Started on a few leaves and then spread so I cut off all the affected leaves and *touch wood* it seems good so far.

What do you rec feeding them with - very new to growing veg

Dans
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: Sylvia on June 30, 2012, 06:42:07 am
If you suspect blight you don't need to lift your crop. If it's in the early stages just cut off the foliage and burn it. The spuds will carry on bulking up.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 09:28:27 am
Thanks all  :)   Typical of me to be hasty and burn a load!  still got lots left though, phew.
the was in really good condition prior to planting (I thought) but can I feed them now? What is the best thing to feed them with (have lots sheep poo and dags?)
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 10:08:24 am
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=potato+blight&num=10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=695&tbm=isch&tbnid=54g3eQvJl3VNTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1ba_potato.asp&docid=vNgmgmgxipR5_M&imgurl=http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images/potato_blight_large.jpg&w=800&h=559&ei=q8HuT57VIsjo8QPG1OGYDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=351&vpy=188&dur=1325&hovh=188&hovw=269&tx=143&ty=129&sig=117959249251002035642&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=181&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:116 (http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=potato+blight&num=10&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=695&tbm=isch&tbnid=54g3eQvJl3VNTM:&imgrefurl=http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/fruit_veg_diary/fruit_veg_mini_project_november_1ba_potato.asp&docid=vNgmgmgxipR5_M&imgurl=http://www.gardenaction.co.uk/images/potato_blight_large.jpg&w=800&h=559&ei=q8HuT57VIsjo8QPG1OGYDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=351&vpy=188&dur=1325&hovh=188&hovw=269&tx=143&ty=129&sig=117959249251002035642&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=181&start=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:116)
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 10:09:51 am
sheep dag stew should help.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 10:15:58 am
It looked nothing like the image in your link DITW - more like Bart Simpson with chicken pox, proper spots rather than splodges. Going to try the sheep dag stew - thank you.
My tomatoes have gone yellow on the leaves too (bottom half) - same stew?  Thanks again  :)
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 10:21:09 am
yes.
plants will often shed leaves if theyre shaded or just not needed anymore. i cut them off and feed.
it would be useful to see a photo of a leaf just to be sure tho
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 10:30:09 am
I will go and see if there are any left (that I didn't bung on the bonfire) and post one.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 10:31:45 am
and a tomato one too.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 11:02:59 am


Potato leaves - its started on green leaves now.



(http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4910/img01475201206301033.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/687/img01475201206301033.jpg/)


Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)





Tomato plant 1
(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/7103/thimg01476201206301036.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/thimg01476201206301036.jpg/)


Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)


The tomato plants need some attention, been away and dead leaves have fallen into them and they are a mess. They were planted into tomato growbag soil/compost from B&Q  :-\
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 11:11:17 am
oh, that does look like blight!! second opinion needed! fleecewife?? sylvia?? odin?? help!!
 
toms are fine, just losing old leaves.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 11:15:48 am
Oh bum.  I'm not overly surprised if it is  as I had those texts from blightwatch with our postcode, but having just cancelled all potatoes for our weekly veggie box I think I may have ill-fated my crop  ;)
Thank you for checking the pics. I've got potatoes in 3 separate plots, only one affected so far but maybe I need to get as many up as I can? If any are ready that is, never going on holiday again, am all out of sync
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on June 30, 2012, 11:26:50 am
as sylvia said before, you can leave the tubers in, its only the start of it by the pics, just cut the affected haulms off and leave the spuds in a few weeks more.but i would get a second opinion before doing anything!
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on June 30, 2012, 11:31:46 am
 :)   OK thank you
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: Dans on June 30, 2012, 11:49:35 am
That's exactly how my ones looked :-/

Plants looking fairly bare now I cut off the affected ones but its not started on any others yet.

Dans
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 05, 2012, 05:49:25 pm
Dug down deep and found loads of gorgeous potatoes! We are having them for our tea with garlic roast chicken,  ;D
no more speckly leaves thank goodness.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: Lesley Silvester on July 05, 2012, 10:56:52 pm
Looks like you've caught it in time, Plums.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: northfifeduckling on July 06, 2012, 03:28:17 pm
not sure where you are, plums. I am getting a blight warning every day at the moment from Blightwatch - and the earlies' leaves definitely need pricking to stop it in its tracks. :&>
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 06, 2012, 03:52:26 pm
I'm Evesham area, Worcestershire/cotswolds border type. Got another blight warning today...
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: ddangus on July 23, 2012, 01:46:17 pm
Hi Plums,

The potato leaf picture you posted is definitely not blight. When plants naturally senesce there will normally be brown spots on yellowing leaves this normally starts with the first formed bottom leaves first. The spots in your picture are either senescence depending on when your spuds were planted or could be a deficiency i.e. magnesium. Blight looks very different and does not have a hailshot appearance as in your picture. Normally you will also be able to find white fungal growth on the underside of the brown area. Severely blight affected plants also have a very typical smell (hard to describe but you will remember once you have smelt it).

Late blight is Phytophthora infestans , if you use that to Google some images you can see the difference as some of the pictures you find googling for blight are actually not blight.

Hope this helps

DD
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 23, 2012, 02:07:07 pm
Very helpful! thank you  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: VSS on July 23, 2012, 05:07:43 pm
Agree with ddangus. That is not blight. The spots are too small and too regular in size. If you are suspicious of a brown splodge on a potato leaf, look at the underside of the leaf. If it is blight, there is almost always a small patch of white mould on the underside of the brown spot.

Re the yellowing  on the tomato leaves, I don't think this is blight either. It could be mag deficiency as ddangus suggests, but if that were the case, I would expect all the leaf veins to still be green and also a green edge to the leaf. It looks more like nitrogen deficiency.

Another thought, are these yellow leaves at the bottom of the tomato plant stem? The leaves will yellow and die off as the plant matures and fruits. If this is the case,  just remove them.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 23, 2012, 05:18:52 pm
Thanks VSS  :)


we have some sheep dag stew sitting ready to 'feed' the spuds in case its nitrogen deficiency (big dagging session yesterday - will be drowning some newly hatched maggots in that stew too  >:(   )


The yellow spotty leaves were all over the plants and the veins were not green - all completely yellowed a bit like tomato leaves go as they die off if that makes sense?
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 23, 2012, 05:43:22 pm
had they flowered plums? cos they die off after theyve flowered, spuds that is, not toms.
Title: Re: Potatoes - yellow, spotty leaves
Post by: plumseverywhere on July 23, 2012, 06:44:25 pm
no, not flowered.