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  • From: <clearviewfarm AT bluefrog.com>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Late Blight and Potatoes
  • Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:15:20 -0700

About how long would you figure is awhile, Rivka? Any idea of the incubation
period? So far, I've seen one infected tuber, although numerous tops
appeared infected on my upland spuds.

Thanks,
Kurt Forman
Clearview Farm
Palmyra, NY 14522

--- organic87 AT frontiernet.net wrote:

From: Road's End Farm <organic87 AT frontiernet.net>
To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Late Blight and Potatoes
Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:07:23 -0400


On Sep 20, 2009, at 3:38 PM, Pam Twin Oaks wrote:

> We had Late Blight on potatoes one year when I farmed in England. We
> followed advice of the time, mowed off the tops, carted them and
> burned them in a horribly smokey bonfire. (You don't have to do that
> bit, dispose of them thoroughly though). Then we waited two weeks,
> then dug up the tubers. They were fine to eat. The point is that by
> waiting, the blight does not spread to the tubers.

To clarify, though I think you meant this: late blight can indeed
spread to potato tubers and make them rot in a very nasty fashion. If
the tops are mowed in time, before the infection can move from the tops
into the tubers, the tubers may be all right. If the tubers are
infected, I think they'll also rot during the two week period, saving
you the hassle of bringing them into storage and then hauling them out
again when the rot becomes apparent.

I would hold them for a while after harvest before selling them, just
to be sure.

-- Rivka; Finger Lakes NY, Zone 5 mostly
Fresh-market organic produce, small scale

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