Author Topic: Maris piper plants dying back early (Read 5292 times)

Kirksnecktattoo · « **on:** August 07, 2014, 05:30:38 pm »

Hi there, I've attempted my first maris pipers this year, which I planted in mid May, however they seem to be dying back already which from what I've read is too early.. They've been in for 12 weeks. Any suggestions? Many thanks!

pgkevet · « **Reply #1 on:** August 08, 2014, 05:25:11 pm »

are you sure it's nt blight? I've been hit after ignoring a near miss smith period report and not spraying. I've sprayed since to try and slow it down but it looks like I'll be lifting towards the end of the month at best

Kirksnecktattoo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2014, 11:07:01 pm »

Hmm I'm not sure to be honest. How would I know if it was blight? I dug up a couple of plants and had some tasty golf ball sized tubers but no signs of disease... Would blight affect the tubers or just the plant?

Lesley Silvester · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2014, 11:50:39 pm »

Black on the leaves to start with. See https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=217 for photos.

regen · « **Reply #4 on:** August 10, 2014, 07:00:48 am »

Starts with the leaves then moves down stem and into the tubers. If you want edible tubers then remove all foliage and burn then dig up tubers. Use ASAP as the spores may allready be on the tubers and they will turn into a brown smelly gue within weeks!

Regen

Kirksnecktattoo · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2014, 08:46:32 pm »

Thanks for the advice! I'll get the dodgy looking ones dug u as soon as the rain stops!

Kirksnecktattoo · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2014, 11:36:18 pm »

Well, I dug up my tubers this evening and am extremely happy with them. In my excitement I boiled some and roasted some, both delicious. I'm relatively confident that the problem wasn't blight as there's not even any scabbing on the tubers. Got some massive ones too! Maybe they were just ready to harvest! Cheers.

pgkevet · « **Reply #7 on:** August 11, 2014, 09:23:23 am »

As far as I'm aware scab is unrelated to blight and more a case of you do or don't have it in the soil and little you can do - apart from growing resistant varieties.

I do have scab here which is a shame - just means deeper peeling of spuds and turfing out the worst lookers.

I panicked the first year I had blight and lifted fast. Now I'm a little less rushed and try to slow it down with spray and give the tubers a bit longer to get a bit bigger.

Some sites suggest removing all tops and dispose the wait 2 weeks before lifting to avoid contamination rom spores on the ground. Last 2 years I just lifted and gave them a few days on the surface to harden off and dry before bagging - worked fine. They stored very well until early spring where even in my shaded barn they sprouted beyond keeping.

I'm planning on lifting mine as soon as the current showery days pass.

regen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 11, 2014, 11:55:11 am »

scab and blight are totally unrelated. Unfortuely you do not know when a tuber has blight because outwardly and inwardly it will look normal. The days or weeks after lifting the eternal skin goes light brown and the flesh discolours and at this point they dont taste too good either. Leave them a few more weeks and they turn into a btown mushy mess.

If the leaves have brown spots which coalesce and the leaves shrivel with the halm blackening the it is usually blight .

Regen

pgkevet · « **Reply #9 on:** August 11, 2014, 08:18:30 pm »

I've lifted about 80 of my worst affected ones...leaves about 250 spud bushes to lift..but age and knackered back means it'll be a few days.

The first earlies that are still there are huge. the albert rooster are an average to sl small but the numbers are silly high... never seen that many spuds per bush in the two years here.. looks like i'll be collecting up only the big and best and sorting some for next years seed and dumping or donating a load again.

hexhammeasure · « **Reply #10 on:** August 12, 2014, 02:28:03 am »

could be blackleg - at first sight it just seems like the plants are drying up. can be caused by damage to the stems where it goes into the soil -possibly due to wind rock

HesterF · « **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2014, 10:22:45 pm »

Sounds like blight to me. Mine all die back early with blight - seems to be endemic here although the pink fir apples were more resistant along with one of the main crops that I bought specially (Sarpo?) - but the tubers are fine. I take off the tops and then dig the potatoes as required and I'm still digging earlies which were huge and fine.

Carse Goodlifers · « **Reply #12 on:** August 16, 2014, 09:47:21 pm »

There has been a lot of blight this year.
With regards to blight - varieties will have a different blight score for foliage blight and also for tuber blight.
For instance Charlotte has a higher resistance score for tuber blight (score 5) than foliage blight (score 2).

But note that the strains of blight are changing all the time and what was deemed resistant varieties in the past are now succumbing to the disease.

A good website to get more info regarding disease for varieties is http://www.varieties.potato.org.uk/quick_search.php
Search for the variety and it will come up with the disease info for it.