Potato blight comes in two forms, the first being early blight and the second late blight – both can quickly damage the plant and the potatoes underground.
There are tell-tale signs of potato blight to keep an eye out for and measures that can be put in place to prevent the threat.
Warm, humid weather, especially during the late summer is a perfect breeding ground for blight.
Luckily, garden expert Monty Don has taken to his monthly gardening blog to share his advice for rescuing potatoes from blight as the fish of this disease is “so great”.
He claimed that one of his yearly rituals is to dig first early potatoes on July 8th, however, the harvest varies hugely depending on when he planted them and the subsequent weather.
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The expert noted that he now only grows the first early variety of potatoes because “the risk of blight is so great”.
Monty explained: “Potato blight is a fungal disease that rots first the haulms (stem) and then, as it is washed into the soil by rain, the tubers making them unable to store if not inedible.
“The fungi develop very fast when the temperature is high and the air humid for 23 hours and these conditions are becoming increasingly common in July.”
The expert claimed that there is a way to “save” potatoes from this disease. He said: “The crop can be saved if the foliage is removed immediately when the tell-tale chocolate-coloured circular areas of the leaves are noticed.”
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Monty recommended removing all the foliage and composting it as the fungi do not survive the composting process.
Gardeners should also make sure that there is a good soil covering over the tubers. Then wait for a dry day and harvest the crop.
First and second early varieties are much less likely to be affected because they mature faster and are ready for harvesting earlier in the season.
The best way to reduce the possibility of blight ruining a potato crop is to choose blight-resistant potato varieties like the Hungarian Sarpo range.
Others renowned for their superb resistance to late blight and viruses are ‘Sarpo Mira’, ‘Cara’ and ‘Setanta’ potatoes.
Gardeners should also be taking precautions to reduce the chances of the disease attacking their crops. One way to do this is by always choosing an open planting site with good airflow and leaving sufficient space between plants – better airflow helps the foliage to dry quickly after rain, slowing the spread of blight between plants.
Crop rotation also helps prevent a build-up of disease spores in the ground, and avoids infected plants growing from potato tubers that were missed during last year’s harvest.
Gardeners can also spray potato crops with a protective fungicide before signs of blight appear. Start from June, especially if the weather’s wet. Spray again after a few weeks to protect new growth.
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