Allotments 4 All

 Hi all,  :D
                This is my first attempt to post a picture, so fingers crossed it will work out ok. 

If you can see this, has any one got scabbier spuds than these,  ??? They are Maris Piper &  are obviously not resistant to scab at all. I have also grown pentland javelin . romano & picasso this year & they are all fine.

                                                                                   Adrian.

You sure they're spuds + no moon rocks? ::)

 Hi Diana,  :D
                     Very funny ha ,ha,  if you really want a laugh , i`ve got  50lbs of them :o
                               Adrian.

Sorry Adrian I meant no offence :-\

They're still edible though aren't they?

Blimey! I sympathise! You in a chalk area by any chance???

moonbells

They'll be perfectly OK to eat. Scab only affects the appearance, and if you're hungry you won't notice that.

 Hi all,  :D
               It`s ok Diana no offense was taken,  we have got to laugh at our efforts from time to time or this gardening lark would drive us mad  ;D
Moonbells,  our soil is very sandy  & light, apparently ideal for scab ::)

                                                           Adrian.

Coo, thanks Adrian.  That's made me feel better about my 50 lbs of (moderately) scabby Kestrels...    :)

Adrian - last year I grew Home Guard and they were all scabby - maybe not as bad as yours but pretty unappetising to look at...however underneath once peeled or scraped hard!!...they were lovely potatoes that kept firm when cooked and tasted wonderful.

I grew a lot last year and had hoped to pass on loads to one of my sons & his wife but they were totally put off by appearance!! however, they stored well and I continued to have 'home grown' potatoes well into the early part of this year.

I also grew Nadine, which were slightly scabby but good to eat.

This year I've grown Lady Christl which the slugs & red ants got at so lost the lot bar two plants but....the Nadine have turned out great with no scab this year!!...

What causes scab anyway?

HP - try this link for info:

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_Scab.htm

Thanks Diana for the link - very interesting site.....I recognised my particular type of 'potato scab' in the pictures......last year was my first year with the plot & it had been covered up with carpet after the last occupant gave it up a year or two before.

My lottie neighbours have told me that the soil is 'rich' (which it seems to be) so wonder if it had been manured a lot in the past....looks as if that is what causes a lot of the problems (unless I've completely misunderstood what they were saying).....if that's the case - why do so many people absolutely 'swear by' smothering their plots with manure if it's likely to affect the growth of things like potatoes, which almost everyone seems to grow??...I'm puzzled!!

Common scab is worse on lime rich light soils.
There is another scab caused by a fungus, and that is worse on wet soils, and heavily manured soils can retain water longer. This link might help:http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0902/potato_skin.asp

I have got less scab this year despite our chalk soil, I think because I took the time to put a very deep layer of manure in the bottom of the trench and planted the spuds straight into it. Seems to have helped enormously, though it hasn't eliminated the problem entirely.

moonbells

Hi,
I have less scab this year too - because I have  the same problem as Moonbells and also went to great lengths to try and solve it. Mad spring trenching followed with wet straw and manure. Have still not got many spuds - cos of dryness me thinks.
Anyway - one other thing, last year when the scab was bad, the spuds disintegrated on cooking - so if you have that problem, try steaming them  - or not too much water and watch them carefully.

SB

When planting your Tatties put some fresh grass cuttings in trench and set the  seed potatoe  on this...  This will prevent scab .Wilted cumfrey leaves do same job also if you have any available ... Try it , It does work..Cheers Jim...

 Hi Jim,  :D
                I did plant my spuds on grass cuttings, as you can see from the picture  I posted it didn`t work for me!

                                                Adrian.