Potatoes - Blight, disorders and mineral deficiencies.

[ideasguy]

From what I have gathered from speaking to a farmer friend, you are quite correct about the amount of spraying, Eric.
From what I gather online, they don't use the same spray each time - they have to spray for different blight strains.
Farmers would need to be biologists

I used that same mixture throughout my spraying program and managed to get away with it.

One of I'm sure a number of reasons you don't use the same ground each year is to ensure any of last years spuds don't grow again as they might have blight. Thats why seed need to be certified.
Even the smallest spuds can grow again. They need to be destroyed as they emerge, or if they sprout up on a compost heap.

Next year, I may adopt your advice- to grow earlies instead. As you have stated, they are almost fully grown before the blight conditions happen, so less spraying required.

[Palustris]

They keep saying that one should not allow 'volunteers' to grow, but we often get the best crops from ours. It only matters if you have had Blight, if your soil is free from the spores then leaving them to grow on does no harm.

[ideasguy]

That's interesting Eric!

For next year, Is it OK to use a plot which begins a few feet away from this years crop?

[Palustris]

Again, if you did not have Blight then the spores should not be present in the soil,so I can see no reason for worry about the distance. Let's face it in most gardens you have little choice about the distance from the last lot, that one grows the next ones in.

[ideasguy]

Indeed Eric, unless you happen to have the luxury of an acre or two.
I had a daily morning chore of picking any leaves that may have been "suspect" this past month or so.
They may have been perfectly OK, but I took no chances.
Even though there were only a few leaves each day, I wouldn't like to say there is no blight!
Incidentally, I received yet another BlightWatch warning today (that there is blight in my postcode area) - that's the third this week. I sprayed on Monday so not much more I can do!

[Palustris]

Except dig up the potatoes!
Ours are long removed and sacked for storage.

[ideasguy]

If I see blight then I will, Eric, but the stalks are green and look like they are still growing.
Also I have two patches. The second patch was planted a couple of weeks behind the first - only that first stalk dug so far from the earlier planting.