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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Late Blight and potatoes

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  • From: Pam Twin Oaks <pam AT twinoaks.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Late Blight and potatoes
  • Date: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:44:54 -0400

Rivka said:
>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.<

Yes, it can spread to the tubers, so to save them, it's important to
act right away when you see the blight and cut the potato vines off.
Leaving the patch alone for two weeks prevents the blight spreading to
the tubers, which would happen if you harvest right away. If the
tubers already have the blight, I don't know if it's better to leave
them in the ground or dig them up. But to find out if they are
blighted, you'd have to at least peek, and this disturbs the soil and
can give entry to the blight....so if it was me I'd leave them
undisturbed and cross my fingers in hope!

Pam, Twin Oaks, Virginia




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