Blight 2014

jprboy

While there is no official blight warning up on Met.ie, next week is forecast to be quite warm and humid. Rain is forecast for many areas this evening/tonight and for the remainder of the country tomorrow morning.

Could be the last chance to spray for a few days so I think I'll carry out the first spray of the season.

jprboy

Ok, it's official, below from Met.ie:

STATUS YELLOW

Blight Warning

Weather conditions conducive to the spread of Potato blight, are expected to occur, between now and Wednesday, with the eastern half of the country most at risk. There will be some limited opportunities for spraying.
Issued:
Sunday 18 May 2014 21:00

redser7

Thanks. I'm glad I was late getting my spuds in. Very little foliage through at the moment.

Thanos

What are good products to use for spraying and where can you get them?
Can you get them somewhere easy like in woodies or do you need to go to a garden center?

jprboy

Thanos wrote: »

What are good products to use for spraying and where can you get them?
Can you get them somewhere easy like in woodies or do you need to go to a garden center?

I use Dithane 945 which you mix with water in a knapsack sprayer.

I'd expect Woodies would have it. Any place that sells farming and gardening goods should have it.

I will try the more traditional copper sulphate mix when I find time to get around to it some year !

amandstu

jprboy wrote: »

I use Dithane 945 which you mix with water in a knapsack sprayer.

I'd expect Woodies would have it. Any place that sells farming and gardening goods should have it.

I will try the more traditional copper sulphate mix when I find time to get around to it some year !

I use that but I think you have to mix it yourself as I think it goes stale (I don't understand the mechanics but I buy my copper sulphate separately and mix it with a bit of lime -and fairy ideally I think- before spraying it on)

Gerobrien25

Dithane 945 is no longer available to buy unless you have a "spraying certificate".

jprboy

Gerobrien25 wrote: »

Dithane 945 is no longer available to buy unless you have a "spraying certificate".

Didn't know that.

I have enough to last for 2/3 years anyway.

Have you the name of other sprays that can be bought?

OldRio

Bordeaux Mixture can be bought from Farm Suppliers or/and Gardening suppliers.

Gerobrien25

I went to buy Dithane at the weekend in my local hardware shop. I was shown a form that needs to be filled in and was asked to produce my Sprayers Cert. The owner than came along (who knows me for years) and I asked him what was all this form about. The reply was the Dept of Agriculture new rules and regs. It was then he said to me that you need a licence for sprayer and holding quantities greater than 1 litre of chemicals such as round-up, rose clear concentrates. I work with chemicals everyday of the week some of them are dangerous and toxic, but I would still have to pay for this exam/licence/cert. The alternative is as OLdRio said is Bordeaux Mixture, I don't know much about it, the other is the copper sulphate and washing soda mixture.

redser7

You could also try the blight resistant sarpos. Don't like them myself.

dharma200

doing oca this year...blight resistant........ to hell with the spuds....................

My Potatoes

STATUS YELLOW

Blight Warning
Conditions conducive to the spread of potato-blight conditions expected to develop later Thursday / Friday, mainly over north-Leinster including Dublin.

Issued:Tuesday 27 May 2014 11:00

http://www.met.ie/nationalwarnings/default.asp

jprboy

Thanks, OP.

I started a thread titled "Blight 2014" earlier this month and was hoping that all blight warnings for the year could be posted there.

Link: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057211757

OP, hope you don't mind if I suggest that this thread be merged with that one?

Mods, can this be done?

redser7

Done

My Potatoes

Would it be possible to edit the title as needs be? "Blight 2014" is a bit vague, and the readers need to open the thread to see if it's in effect, of if it's an old blight warning.

For example, if you look at the way it was done in previous years, the title is more accurate and informative:
http://www.boards.ie/search/submit/?query=%22Blight+Warning%22&title=1&forum=1059&user=&date_from=&date_to=

redser7

Good point, sure probably best to do what has been done before. Start a new thread with the date.