Hello!
A friend asked me a question which i couldnt answer......she planted the same type of potatoe in a pot and in the ground (not sure what the type is sorry!) the ones in the pot were succussful.....the ones in the ground were less succussful with a tough scaly like skin.....does anyone know why this is happened???
Sounds like Potato scab. This often occurs on light sandy soil where there is too much lime and not enough humus. The potatoes are still edible, but they do need peeling before use. There are varietites which are resistant to Scab.
thanks - palustris......one thing i forgot to mention was she said her soil was clay - i suggested adding some sand but perhaps that wasnt the best suggestion - hey what do i know!!!!
Well. adding a lot of humus to her soil would certainly do no harm, now would it? Any soil with a lot of lime in it will cause scab and some clays can be naturally limey.
I've read that it's a lack of moisture thing, which ties up with the humus shortage. I got the same problem with spud bags that went a bit too long without watering. It's not pretty. but it is harmless.