Author Topic: Blight Alert ! (Read 4337 times)

bruno · « **on:** June 09, 2010, 14:33:14 »

Can't believe it - have just received 'blight alert' for the Derby area from www.potato.org.uk !!!

It's only June

Bruno

BarriedaleNick · « **Reply #1 on:** June 09, 2010, 14:46:21 »

Me too - in London!

plot51A · « **Reply #2 on:** June 09, 2010, 14:48:17 »

And me! Was so glad to get the rain - but you just can't win !!

OllieC · « **Reply #3 on:** June 09, 2010, 14:53:22 »

Guildford & Hayling Island just got one too!

GRACELAND · « **Reply #4 on:** June 09, 2010, 15:01:20 »

:o :o :o :o :o :o

Squash64 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 09, 2010, 15:04:34 »

I got this too but I took it to mean that there wasn't any blight. (I don't know what the Full Smith Period means ???)

Fight Against Blight Alerts:
for more detail please visit www.potato.org.uk/blight

No incidents found

BlightWatch Alerts:
for more detail please visit www.blightwatch.co.uk

Area: B42
Warning: Full Smith Period

Edited-
You all probably know about Smith Periods, but I didn't so I Googled it:=

A full Smith Period has occurred when:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At least two consecutive days where min temperature is 10ºC or above and on each day at least 11 hours when the relative humidity is greater than 90%.

A 'near miss' occurs when one or both of the above two consecutive days has only 10 hours when the relative humidity is greater than 90% and the temperature is 10ºC or above. Note that a near miss is not recorded when temperature values are close to but not at the threshold value.

Plot69 · « **Reply #6 on:** June 09, 2010, 15:42:08 »

I just got my first one in Peterborough as well. Glad I only grow Sarpo's.

Digeroo · « **Reply #7 on:** June 09, 2010, 16:06:06 »

I got mine here in the Cotswolds. Very depressing.

Only one episode of rain so if this had fallen in one day rather than being split over two it would not have triggered a Smith Period.

I suppose the point of the warning is not that there currently is any blight but that you can dash out and put all sorts of poisons on your plants to prevent it happening. I am doing more earlies this year had hoped to harvest them before the blight strikes.

I am nore interested in preventing problems with my tomatoes.

chriscross1966 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 09, 2010, 16:56:52 »

Just ahd a FUll Smith for SN2 but no blight alert yet....

chrisc

Unwashed · « **Reply #9 on:** June 09, 2010, 17:06:12 »

It was a near miss is RG14 today.

asbean · « **Reply #10 on:** June 09, 2010, 17:33:12 »

We're SO22/23.

I got a text message (and email) this aafternoon, so we sprayed straight away to be on the safe side.

On checking the email, yesterday fulfilled the criteria but today is a near miss, so doesn't make the two-daya mark.

Grrrrr.

gwynleg · « **Reply #11 on:** June 09, 2010, 18:49:00 »

Yep - near miss period in WD24!

Sally A · « **Reply #12 on:** June 09, 2010, 18:54:22 »

I've just signed up to blightwatch, but won't be able to log in until tomorrow; whereabouts in the Cotswolds are you Digeroo?? I'm on the northern slopes of Bath.

cornykev · « **Reply #13 on:** June 09, 2010, 19:45:38 »

Yep I got my blight alert, but I'm growing in my back garden under cover so I should be OK. ??? ;D ;D ;D

kippers garden · « **Reply #14 on:** June 09, 2010, 20:05:03 »

Had a blightwatch alert in Leicester too

staris · « **Reply #15 on:** June 09, 2010, 20:11:21 »

got one here as well, durham dh6

gwynnethmary · « **Reply #16 on:** June 09, 2010, 20:14:25 »

If you get one, what is the best course of action please? This is my first year and I SO want to grow nice potatoes!

smudger28 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2010, 20:27:20 »

No need to panic yet guys......

Living in Cornwall we are the first to get blight before the rest of the country. We have been having Smith Periods on/off since April....

The good thing is you need at least 7-10 days of continual Smith periods for a greater chance of Blight pathogen sporulation.

Also leaf wetness is a must.

I sprayed my crops yesterday as we have had a few red days now...

So don't panic just yet and cut your pots to the ground.

If you do catch blight, then remove all infected parts and burn them. If the attack is severe then cut all plants to ground level and leave the tubers in the ground for two weeks.

Do not compost infected plants...

PurpleHeather · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2010, 20:48:37 »

Sow early and dig up early seems to be the answer............

Then when we run out ......Imported spuds can be sold in the shops ...

OllieC · « **Reply #19 on:** June 09, 2010, 22:14:03 »

Hmmm, smudge, not sure how good my Tomato yield will be if I cut them to the ground!!! :P Actually I am! ::)

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Author Topic: Blight Alert ! (Read 4337 times)