Topic: non seed potatoes

[mr plasma]

still a novice here so bear with me,i read a previous posting about the dangers of planting "ordinary" potatoes and not proper seed potatoes because of the risk of blight,my question is this, if potatoes are accidentally left behind from the previous years harvest do they present a risk,also would there be a risk of spreading the disease if sprouting potatoes were planted in a tub and not open ground PS i planted 2 rows of proper seed potatoes from a reputable supplier :)

[simon404]

Most people get "volunteer" potatoes from last year, they shouldn't present a  risk, but for this year use proper seed potatoes whether in open ground or containers.

[saddad]

As blight is an airbourne infection it doesn't matter if they are planted in tubs or the ground...
 :-\

[Robert_Brenchley]

Blight overwinters in live plant tissue, usually potatoes which were either left in the ground or dumped by a farmer. If you didn't have it last year it should be OK, if you did, be ruthless and get rid of every trace.

[mr plasma]

thanks for all the answers

[Barnowl]

I thought it was viruses rather than blight that was the issue with using non-seed potatoes?

[Robert_Brenchley]

It's a big issue, but most outbreaks of blight originate with overwintered spuds, either accidentals or ones dumped by farmers. As far as I'm concerned, it's a far bigger issue. Viruses are unlikely to affect anyone's potatoes apart from yours. Blight can affect everyone for miles.

[allaboutliverpool]

I bought some Tesco Finest Exquisa potatoes and liked them so much that I have planted a bag. I understand by googling that they are blight resistant. I have never had problems with shop potatoes in 40 years.

Last year I only got blight on my late planted potatoes which were from T&M. The culprit was the next door plot which left their tomatoes in the ground 20 feet away from my spuds and they all got blight in October.

PS the Exquisa are all up.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments2_my_allotment_in_liverpool.html

[Robert_Brenchley]

the next door plot may have been the origin of the specific spores which infected your spuds (or it may not), but where did it get blight from? Don't blame the nearest fellow-sufferer; the fungus oversinters in living tissue, usually potatoes. That's what you need to look for. if we could eliminate accidentals by midsummer, we'd get rid of a great deal of it.