Blight found

[manicscousers]

If you think (hope) you cut the haulm off in time, how long could you safely leave the potatoes in the ground before lifting?

yep, a couple of weeks then we'll lift, dry and store them in potato bags from the chippy turned inside out. In the garage. Providing we get some drying weather, that is  :)

[manicscousers]

[Toshofthe Wuffingas]

Thanks. I'd want to lift them anyway before long to put other crops or green manure in.

[Aden Roller]

Friday 13th - spotted blight and removed the tops from about 7 rows.  :(

An annual event it seems only earlier this year. Last year 8th August.

[manicscousers]

Plot 2 today, had to cut all the desiree and kestrel tops off, got some good sized spuds under the soil so I hope we are in time, it doesn't seem to have gone down the stems

[Crystalmoon]

I finally had a sun shiny day at my allotment after 4 long weeks of ghastly weather....I walked around all the other plots just to check how things are going for my neighbours - every single potato plant looks like it has blight on the leaves, stems & they are still really short/small compared to usual. The tomatoes that are outside also look like blight has taken hold. I haven't grown either this year thank goodness. xjane

[Robert_Brenchley]

My spuds grew far slower than normal, but at least thee's no blight yet. It's bound to come if it goes on raining. Meanwhile they've been underwater, and I dread to think what I'm going to find when I lift them!

[antipodes]

I have just cut down all the potato foliage and ripped out all the outdoor tomatoes. Some people's spud haulms are completely blackened. Luckily the earlies that are still in the ground have already died back so they just need taking up.
I wanted to cry as I pulled up the tomatoes, this is the second year without a crop. They are the veg I most enjoy growing, I raised them all from seed, and if it goes on like this, there doesn't seem much point  :'(
Is there something I am not doing to "clean" the plot once blight has affected it? I removed all the plant matter, and the stakes, I leave out until the frosts come so they are exposed to hard cold, which I naively hope will clean them of any nasties. Is that maybe wrong?

[Jayb]

Sorry to hear you have lost your tomatoes, it really is a shame after raising them from seed and getting them to this stage  :'(

It doesn't sound like you are doing anything wrong, but perhaps just 2 bad years in your area for blight. Trouble is if the next door plots have blight it is likely to spread. Keeping rain off tomatoes is meant to help, perhaps a frame or temporary hoop-house for next year?

[antipodes]

I admit that last year it struck later as we had a very bad August with cold and rain.
Everyone here grows outdoors as no one has a greenhouse (usually it's warm enough not to need any!), so once it appears, everyone gets it to varying degrees. My neighbour treated his but I have no doubt that his will go as he already had blight on his potatoes.
I am unfortunately not good with the DIY side of allotmenting so not sure I could build a shelter for them, but that would be an idea...

[ksia]

The last few years have been terrible for us also with blight on the toms.
We're in Mayenne (next to Brittany) and everyone round here has some sort of cover over their tomato plants. I've given up on outdoor ones.
Mine will soon be snug in the polytunnel (I know it's late in the season but it's been that kind of year and some toms are better then none!)

Jayb you mentioned seeing blight on yours in the poly...how are they doing? Do you normally succeed in keeping it out?