The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Vegetables => Topic started by: Fleecewife on August 22, 2019, 03:33:16 pm
-
Apparently Britain is suffering badly from Late Summer Blight. So that's what we've got! I planted three blight-resistant varieties of potatoes, Rooster first then Carolus have succumbed to blight, just Athlete hanging on in there. We have dug up the Rooster, but we accept they may not keep well if spores have reached the tubers, and getting the Carolus is tomorrow's job.
Does anyone know if this is a new strain of blight, which would explain why it's attacking blight-resistant varieties?
-
I think the varieties you name are more tolerant than resistant and will succumb with a heavy blight pressure.
This has been a worse year for blight than normal- at least in Norfolk- you can sign up for warning of a Smith’s Period when conditions are right for the disease to spread and these have been quite regular since early June.
I hadn’t heard that new strains of blight had arrived in the UK yet.
It might be worth getting up any remaining spuds before they succomb.
-
Thanks Terry. Yes, we are lifting the spuds and it does seem to be only leaf blight - the tubers are big and healthy looking. The Athletes are clear so far, so we are leaving them to grow on until we see the very first signs, then out they'll come.
We haven't bothered with the blight forecast, as there's not a lot we could do about it. We don't use chemicals. Blight conditions are pretty similar to fly strike conditions in many ways, but I watch for both every day.
-
Blight happens in very moist conditions when it warms up , the farmers spray a dilute sulphuric acid spray on the green potato tops so it kills & desiccates the tops .
The dried tops are then removed & burnt , every thing was hen left a week or so before the harvest is done . The tops harbour the blight , so cutting or lifting the spuds whilst the tops are present is nearly always going to see your crop wrecked .
There are sprays to use to help reduce blight copper based so there is a safety period between applications & lifting the spuds .
All my glasshouse toms have been struck with it ..I'd been hoping that it wouldn't as I 'd started to get what looked like a bumper harvest off six tub plants . Next year I'll be getting some blight spray & sod the organics ………….. I want tomatoes .
-
I found that Sakura, a large cherry tomato, would get a little leaf blight in my polytunnel, and lose some fruit, but it carried on producing a useful enough crop to make it worthwhile growing. This year I am growing Mountain Magic which claims to be resistant and so far :fc: .......shshsh.
It makes sense to remove and burn the foliage of blighty potatoes (and tomatoes) before lifting the tubers. I refuse to give in to using chemical sprays, although it does become tempting sometimes.