Potatoes wilting.......

thedeiseman

Hi all,

I planted several varieties of potatoes (in containers) but have noticed that the leaves on the 'Red Dukes' are blackening at the tips and and the foliage in generally is starting to wilt and die. My other varieties are flying.

Any ideas on what might be happening? I'm new to growing potatoes but what I gather it's very early to be blight? Any help would be very much appreciated.

redser7

There is such a thing as early blight but I haven't heard any mention of it around. I would guess the blackening is burn of some sort, possibly cold. Are they outside?
The wilting could be down to watering. Have you been watering them? Lift the container to see if it feels light and check the compost. Actually are you using compost?

redser7

Where did you get the seed? It could be bad. Need more details I guess. Maybe isolate them from the healthy plants in case there is a problem.

thedeiseman

Containers were started in greenhouse and moved out in late March when the temperature picked up. I have been watering in dry spells and keeping the soil moist as best I can.

Potatoes are planted in a multipurpose compost. I added a slow release fertilizer when i was planting, but i'm wondering if maybe they need an additional feed?

redser7

Strange then. A feed is a good idea towards the end to help the tubers bulk up but lack of a feed shouldn't really make the plants wilt like. They would just turn yellow and die like normal. But sure give it a bash.

dartup

Phytophthora infestans is an oomycete that causes the serious potato disease known as late blight or potato blight. (Early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, is also often called "potato blight"). Late blight was a major culprit in the 1840s European, the 1845 Irish and 1846 Highland potato famines. The organism can also infect tomatoes and some other members of the Solanaceae. Sporangia develop on the leaves, spreading through the crop when temperatures are above 10 °C (50 °F) and humidity is over 75%-80% for 2 days or more. Rain can wash spores into the soil where they infect young tubers, and the spores can also travel long distances on the wind. The early stages of blight are easily missed. Symptoms include the appearance of dark blotches on leaf tips and plant stems. White mould will appear under the leaves in humid conditions and the whole plant may quickly collapse. Infected tubers develop grey or dark patches that are reddish brown beneath the skin, and quickly decay to a foul-smelling mush caused by the infestation of secondary soft bacterial rots. Seemingly healthy tubers may rot later when in store.

My Potatoes

What are the stems like at ground level?

robbie checker

I'd say it is the cold weather we're having. I have potatoes in the polytunnel are they are flying and the ones outside are up but there is very poor growth. I transplanted some cabbage plants outside on the May bank holiday monday which I started inside in a propogator, had outside in the polytunnel for a few weeks and there is no growth, the wind and rain has battered them. I started off some french beans inside (too early) and brought them outside a couple of weeks ago and tried to harden them off and they literally frizzled up with the wind that day (they were nearly 2 foot high and couldn't keep them inside any longer). Grass is started to grow outside but there is very slow growth in vegetables etc. I'd say it was the difference in temperaratures when you moved your potatoes out from the greenhouse. I had bags of potatoes in the tunnel last year and moved them out at end of May to make some room and they just frizzled up (again from the wind and change of temparatures). Very poor return from them so this year I will probably just leave them in a few weeks longer and then use them. The weather is to get milder after the weekend. Hopefully we will start to get normal temparatures for middle of May.

thedeiseman

Ya, the veg plot isn't the most sheltered and it's been pretty cold and windy down here the last few weeks so maybe that's it. Growth is pretty slow alround. Only my onions seem to be moving.

Anyway, I suppose all I can do is hope the weather picks up.

Thanks for all the replies.