The spuds have blight. It was bound to happen. I'm not really surprised, just disappointed. Sounds a little like 'I'm not angry, just disappointed'. When we took over the plot it was all covered in weeds, like any other new plot. We cleared the weeds and started digging the new beds. And started to find potatoes. EVERYWHERE! I had a whole crop rotation plan going on on but there wasn't one patch of soil we didn't find potatoes. We just decided to bung them in anyway.
I don't have a picture (had planned to go back and take one but then the months-rain-in-one-day started), but it was this image from the Guardian Allotment Blog that sealed it for me. My potatoes look JUST like that. And they haven't flowered, even though everyone else's Aaron Pilot seems to have.
Oh, the deflation. What about my beautiful gardeners delight tomato plants that we've carefully planted through the black weed suppressant? Bugger. Bugger. Bugger.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
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5 comments:
I've just had to cut back all my potatoes because of blight so you're not the only one! My allotment neighbour has actually given up planting them because he gets it every year. I think sometimes it's hard to avoid, almost becoming endemic on allotments and as the weather gets damper and warmer it's just perfect blight conditions. Have you dug any plants up yet? You may still have some potatoes.
Thanks Liz, it's a shame it's hit you too.
I've been waiting for the rain to pause long enough for me to get to the allotment. I'll probably just cut back the plants and yeah, have a good dig around and see if I can salvage some spuds. I'll certainly not try them anywhere in the plot next year and give the plot the year off.
Frankie, hi
The pix on the Guardian are NOT blight. Whatever that is, it's not what I call blight – which is furry, fungusy leaves (big black spots on top of leaf, furry white growths underneath) that spread like wildfire and basically kill the plant VERY fast. I wouldn't panic, if I were you. Look around for more reliable pictures of what blight really looks like. I think you've got a small dose of early blight, which is caused by a different, and much less aggressive and serious, pathogen.
BTW, REAL blight tends to come in August, not June. It's really not been warm enough recently for proper blight.
Thanks soilman. I'll have a better look next time I'm down there and take some pictures so I can compare.
Are you still planting? This blog was pretty good!
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