potatoes - white dots

[OliveOil]

Whilst lifting my pots today some of the not rotton ones had white dots all over them - which rubbed off... any idea?

[OliveOil]

[sazhig]

Start of rot/mold would be my guess as a first timer. Dug up all my remaining first earlies this afternoon & those in the wetter part of the bed that hadn't gone putrid  :o had white bits that rubbed off. Think I've caught them in time though....washed em all & left them to dry & a few showed some sign of rot so put them to one side to be cut up & used for chips but the rest looked perfect.

Saz

[cornykev]

I've had the white dots, but only from the ones in black buckets, the ones in the ground seem fine.  ;D ;D ;D

[Mrs Ava]

I dug some today with 'freckles' but none were rotten or damaged.  I imagine it is just part of the development.  We need an expert......where is Phil when we need his potato knowledge!?!?!?!?

[Lady of the Land]

I have had the same on afew potatoes, but they looked fine. I just rubbed this off.

[Kepouros]

E.J.  I can`t answer for Phil, but perhaps I can supply an explanation for the white spots.

The potato tuber is, in fact, nothing more than a modified underground plant stem, and in common with other forms of plant stems contains minute spongy areas known as lenticels. The purpose of these is to allow the exchange of gases across the periderm, which without the lenticels would not be possible.  In very wet conditions the lenticels may enlarge to the point at which tiny deposits or exhudations can occur on the surface of the potato.  They are in no way harmful, and, as you have found, simply rub off.