Topic: Potato Blight - Help !!

[mugwumps]

Having only become dimly aware through some process of  telethapy, osmosis or something  like that, I have finally only discovered today that Bordeaux mixture is no longer available to deal with potato blight. Last year I lost all my potatoes but that was because I was ill, so it didn't actually sink in until now that I have no means of protecting  my potatoes and risk losing all this year's spuds too.

I have just spent three hours trawling around all over the internet to find a reasonable solution & all I have found is reams & reams of junk information & nothing useful at all. This just shows how utterly useless computers are - or rather the illiterate dimwits who put what we see on each webpage.

Does anyone know what chemicals can be used and where to get them to deal with potato Blight ?

[caroline7758]

Try putting "potato blight" in the Search on this site.I'm not sure there are any chemicals that can help once blight has struck, but I think removing affected leaves may help.

[johhnyco15]

vitax make copper mixture as its the copper in bordeux mix thats stops the  blight spores from sticking to the plant that might work your could cover if possible to stop the spores getting on your spuds and if they do get blight take the tops of a ground level straight away and you might save your crop hope this helps please let me know if you find other solutions to this horrible problem

[Tee Gee]

Reading these might help:

http://sitem.herts.ac.uk/aeru/ppdb/en/Reports/424.htm


https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=dithane

[Plot 18]

I thought Dithane had been banned *confused*

[Tee Gee]

I thought Dithane had been banned *confused*

So did I !

These links were the result of a "Google Search" and I did not see any dates when the data was produced so I do not know if the data is valid or not!

Perhaps if Mugwamps or anyone else for that matter reads the data they might get some answers and get back to the rest of us.

[Squashman]

I have always used the full cream milk and water (1 part milk to 10 Water) when ever there is a warning of blight, I have never suffered with blight. My first 3 rows of earlies are almost finished just enough for this week left. My other rows will be sprayed every 2 weeks with the milk & water mix.

[BarriedaleNick]

I have just spent three hours trawling around all over the internet to find a reasonable solution & all I have found is reams & reams of junk information & nothing useful at all. This just shows how utterly useless computers are - or rather the illiterate dimwits who put what we see on each webpage.

Does anyone know what chemicals can be used and where to get them to deal with potato Blight ?

5 seconds to type "How to make Bordeaux mixture" gives loads of results..  There is even a wikipedia entry for it.

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7481.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux_mixture
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/diy-bordeaux-fungicide.htm

You can buy the components with ease online.

However it is, I believe, no longer legal to use as of 2015.

[ed dibbles]

The garden centres around here sell something called 'copper spray' that I took to be Bordeaux mixture by another name.

I know some who do what BarriedaleNick suggests and buy copper sulphate and hydrated lime so they can make my own if needed.

[Silverleaf]

Be aware that copper buildup is toxic to earthworms, livestock, and fish.

[peanuts]

I have always used the full cream milk and water (1 part milk to 10 Water) when ever there is a warning of blight, I have never suffered with blight. My first 3 rows of earlies are almost finished just enough for this week left. My other rows will be sprayed every 2 weeks with the milk & water mix.

i heard about using full cream milk and water only the other day.  Does this work on tomatoes as well?

[mugwumps]

Well, thanks to all you people for trying to be helpful. but I have just spent another couple of hours pratting about the internet to no immediate avail. I did previously discover all those snippets of information mentioned above about how to make your own mixture etc & also that the fungicide mancozeb, Manzate, Dithane etc are all still legal. But discovering lots of technical information did not help me buy any product.

Trying to buy them anywhere is a nightmare. First of all a phone call to the Wyvale Garden Centre head office 'customer (dis-service)' dept produced a totally brain dead idiot who knew nothing and would only tell me to go to my local Wyvale centre.

But before that really silly call ( I will never even set foot in a Wyvale again) I did discover that I could not buy the above fungicides from any reasonable & reliable source.

The main manufacturer (United Phosphorus) had a very very bad website & it just said you can buy the products at any agricultural chemical supplier.

When I then spoke to the one & only one I found so far they wanted to take all my details, colour of granny's eyes etc and would only sell to me if I was a company/business & would then only phone me back to answer my very simple query of what sizes of product do you sell & how much & how can I buy it as the person on the phone said they knew nothing and would just pass on my details to the sales dept for them to phone me back -  which of course never happens anyway, ever.

Obviously a typical idiot lazy, moronic business that has no idea it is in the business of selling it's product to ......errrrr customers !!!

I could buy the fungicide Dithane (containing Manzate) from cowboy chemists all over the place making up the mixtures themselves. These may or may not be good/reliable  mixtures but I don't want to buy from such risky sources. I can also buy from the USA & Australia both cheaply & rip off expensively but both routes involve £20 plus postage, sometimes £35 & also threats the chemicals might be impounded by customs.

And I haven't yet found out where I can buy copper sulphate and lime to make bog standard Bordeaux mixture.

All this time wasting torture caused by moronic EU bureaucrats making life unpleasant for everyone. THIS is why we desperately need to leave  that really stupid European Union organisation. Roll on BREXIT.

[Tee Gee]

Sorry to hear you are having the problems you are having but I think you will find that most chemicals nowadays need a 'license' hence much of your problem/s

Many years ago I happened to ask my local chemist if he could get me a product I needed at the time (can't recall what it was) but he managed to obtain it for me. Perhaps if you did this you might get the copper sulphate you need and lime can be purchased most anywhere including building material suppliers.

Another approach is check with a local farmer who grows potatoes and he perhaps might let you a pound or two of the product he uses.

These are only thoughts but they might come up trumps, certainly worth a try.

[Beersmith]

I have always used the full cream milk and water (1 part milk to 10 Water) when ever there is a warning of blight, I have never suffered with blight. My first 3 rows of earlies are almost finished just enough for this week left. My other rows will be sprayed every 2 weeks with the milk & water mix.

I tried this last year to prevent mildew on courgettes to good effect, although I used dried skimmed milk and mixed it as required. I will be experimenting with this as a way to combat blight this year. Thanks for the tip.

[ed dibbles]

And I haven't yet found out where I can buy copper sulphate and lime to make bog standard Bordeaux mixture.

Ever heard of ebay? You can pick up the ingredients you need to make your own as well as ready made fungicides - dithane etc.

[Beersmith]

Be careful what you wish for.

These substances are difficult to obtain not because of the EU but because they are poisons. Copper Sulphate is unlikely to kill you but it can be readily absorbed through the skin, trigger skin irritation, is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic life, and bioaccumulates. This is an issue because copper compounds are phytotoxic. In simple terms this means  it disrupts photosynthesis and harms plants.  In humans, chronic exposure can lead to anaemia and liver disease. It will likely kill any worms where used, but on the plus side birds seem to have higher tolerance than other animals.  The other chemicals you mention have their own issues including carcinogenic and mutagenic effects.

If you are able to obtain these chemicals you owe it to yourself and your fellow plot holders to use them responsibly and with extreme care.