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I've always understood that they can carry disease over from one year to the next, so best to get rid of them.
I never seem to manage to clear my potato beds properly and end up with volunteers coming up between the next crop. Is it enough to hoe the tops off or should I dig them up, which is difficult without disturbing the small new plants?
Potato Late Blight Late blight in potatoes is the key foliar disease to affect potato crops in Scotland. Potato blight is caused by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans). The main source of the disease are potato dumps (areas where diseased potatoes from previous years have been left). ............. Other sources included infected seed and potato volunteers. To date, soil borne infection is not known to occur in the UK.
If you follow Blightwatch you will see that most blight outbreaks start on/around outgrade piles (last year's potatoes that didn't make the grade)QuotePotato Late Blight Late blight in potatoes is the key foliar disease to affect potato crops in Scotland. Potato blight is caused by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans). The main source of the disease are potato dumps (areas where diseased potatoes from previous years have been left). ............. Other sources included infected seed and potato volunteers. To date, soil borne infection is not known to occur in the UK.https://www.sruc.ac.uk/directory_record/3189/potatoesSo I'd rather not be responsible for starting it on my local allotment site, that's all.
Believe blight spores travel in thermally uplifted air from upwind, like sahara dust and hay fever pollens.