Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Joe11 on April 09, 2008, 16:34:11

Title: Lime and Potatoes
Post by: Joe11 on April 09, 2008, 16:34:11
Hi, yesterday we planted out little plot of potatoes and after the hard work we read the empty bags of compost and saw that it says not suitable for lime hating plants!!!!! It is used mushroom compost that we dug in, do you think it will affect the potatoes that much?? ??? ???
Title: Re: Lime and Potatoes
Post by: Deb P on April 09, 2008, 17:11:39
You try and avoid too much lime with potatoes because it is thought to encourage scab, a disease with corky like growths on the outside of the potato which does not affect the eating quality, but doesn't look very attractive!

If you have already planted, I don't think there is a lot you can do, except maybe use grass clippings to earth up, as using that is believed to help prevent scab. Mushroon compost varies widely in the quantity of lime it contains, you might be lucky and have some with so little it doesn't affect them at all.
Title: Re: Lime and Potatoes
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on April 09, 2008, 17:36:30
Even if you have scab, it doesn't affect the eating quality at all.
Title: Re: Lime and Potatoes
Post by: Joe11 on April 09, 2008, 18:06:17
Ok, thanks ;D