Topic: Saxon potatoes: complete failure, why?!

[Deb P]

I planted four beds of potatoes in March, one of Saxon from Wyvales. All the others have come up and are flowering, but I dug the Saxon bed up today because it only had three small pathetic shoots showing. See pics for my crop! I could only find one of the seed potatoes that hadn't sprouted (they went in chitted) and they were light and looked like crispy sponges inside, no signs of slugs or any other pests. That bed hasn't had potatoes in for five years as I rotate them every year.  Any ideas what has caused this? And will I be ok to put another crop of squash/leeks/or PSB as I had planned?

[caroline7758]

Looks like blight to me, but I'm no expert!

[Elfeda]

few of us got the same results with potatoes planted in march in the sticky soil .

[Tee Gee]

Looks like early potato blight to me, not that. I have ever suffered from it so I looked it up!

See here:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=217

[Flighty]

Most of my main crop Desiree have failed to show, although the earlies Red York of York and second earlies Charlotte and Kestrel all have. I'll have a dig during the week and see what the tubers are like.
I know early blight has been mentioned but if the ground was soggy at some point they may well have just rotted. 
I would say yes you should be okay to plant squash, leeks and/or PSB as planned. 
 

[squeezyjohn]

I've had a single plant of my Arran Pilot develop rather blight-like symptoms and shrivel away to nothing in the middle of the patch - but as all the other plants are looking relatively healthy I had discounted early blight.  But now I'm not too sure.

All my earlies seem rather late and stunted.  However all my main crop ones have romped away and look as healthy as anything.

[johhnyco15]

indeed i agree with tg

[Deb P]

Thanks for all the replies, I hadn't considered early blight as the little foliage there was looked healthy, and I have never seen early blight before. It was the crispness of tubers that surprised me, I presumed they would be mushy with blight. Oh well, they are all out now, the swedes get to go in  a bit earlier than planned!

[GREGME]

reason why is bad luck- doesn't seem preventable or common - you wouldn't exactly spray for this.