Topic: Can I plant spuds in last years blighted tomato bed?

[Galette]

Getting motivated to prepare bed for planting spuds, but my rotation plan would put this year's spuds in last year's tomato plot. Last year's tomatoes suffered from blight.
Would I be putting the spuds at risk of blight by using this area? 

[green lily]

yep I think you would.. Try onions or something quite different this year at least.. ;)

[Pescador]

Very high risk indeed

[Kea]

No, very bad move.

[PAULW]

Blight is airborne it needs to land on living tissue to infect, if this was not the case then you would not be able to plant anywhere on your plot as the blight spores still landed on the soil even though there were no spuds or toms to pick up the infection.

[winecap]

Blight will only be a problem if the weather suits it. Did your potatoes get blight last year? If you lift early potatoes before the blight you have no problem anyway.

[chriscross1966]

Blight only overwinters on living tissue except in an exceptional circumstance that I haven't heard a rel;iable report of us suffering in this country last year. As long as you removed the blighted tomato roots (it's been a mild year) then you should be fine from that point.

the reason not to do it is because they're both Solanums and should therefore not be grown one after the other in the same way you wouldn't follow cabbages with brussels sprouts or carrots with parsnips.....

[Galette]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.  I understand how it works now!

Last year I had no blight on the spuds, but I foolishly thought I could get away with not using a Bordeaux wash on the tomatoes. In previous years I have always used this on both spuds and tomatoes but because we live some distance from other veggie growers I thought I would try growing them without.  Hmm, didn't work did it?!!

I shall know better this year.  Thanks again.

[Hi_Hoe]

Spuds to follow tomatoes?

Someone may tell me Im wrong, but i think they are in the same family (solanaceae/ cucurebitaceae) and shouldn't follow in a crop rotation program.

I personally wouldnt try it, especially if blight was a real problem previously. Alliums would be my choice.

Best of luck whatever you do! ;)

[cornykev]

As said blight will be long gone and only spreads in living tissue, but as they are both from the same family they should be rotated, I grow my Tommies at home away from lottie spuds.   ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

I wouldn't plant toms after spuds, since overwintering tubers can carry blight. The other way round would be OK if you were short of space, since toms die off completely and there's nothing for the spores to overwinter on. It's not good practice though, since they're close relatives and share other diseases.

[Galette]

Thanks - I had overlooked this in the past, must have just been plain lucky up until last year!