Please Help My Potatoes

[trion]

We are in the northeast and are just finally seeing sun again after what seemed like a month of non stop rain. My potato plants went from looking very nice to this. One plant has died - turned yellow and wilted away. There are spots which resemble a fungus I saw in photos. There are also holes in the leaves. What should I do? Thank you!

 

[locavore]

I would do an experimental dig and see if you have any potatoes. If you planted regular baking potatoes you may want to wait until all the leaves have died back so you have large potatoes. If you planted other kinds you could have some really nice new potatoes waiting for you!

 

[Greenthumb18]

where in the northeast are you located ? You could plant more and at least get baby potatoes,
i hope this disease won't spread.

Good Luck!!

 

[trion]

So basically there is nothing I can do?

 

[jlmann]

A lot of times with potatoes you have to decide if you have plant problems or tuber problems. Sometimes a potato vine will be horrible looking from potato bugs or whatever , but when you actually dig the potatoes they are fine. When the vines are done , they turn yellow and die = time to dig taters. I would dig under the one that turned yellow and died and see what you find. The holes in the leaves are from some sort of bug so look on the plant under the leaves, close to the stem and see if you can find what is eating them.

 

[jlmann]

As for the fungus I just don't know what to tell you because I haven't grown potatoes for years. I think there are several blights that affect potatoes so maybe an experienced potato grower will have something to add.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure what your problem is though I'm leaning toward purple top. I'll go through a few things in my gardening book.

New growth turns purplish - A sign of purple top, called aster yellows in other crops. New leaves stay small and wilt. Small above ground tubers form where leaves attach to stems. spread by leafhoppers. Pull up infected plant and compost it. The virus overwinters in the leafhoppers not the plant.

One or two stems wilt - Bacterial ring rot. Leaves may roll up. Cut a stem and a cheesy material will come out when you squeeze it. I don't think this is it, but an easy check.

Stunted or wilted plants - Bacterial wilt. verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt, or root-knot nematodes. Cut through a stem. If brown ooze drips out, bacterial wilt. If brown streaks inside, verticillium or fusariam. Uproot a plant and check for bumps on tubers and galls on roots.

Hope this helps.

 

[VT Chicklit]

I am new potato grower. I have 4 bins planted with potatoes that I am trying various materials to grow in. I dont know much at this point about potato diseases but today I heard on a local radio station that the potato disease that caused the Great Potato Famine in Ireland was found in plants being grown in Plattsburgh, New York which is not too far from where I live in VT. I am not sure where you are located but you did state you were in the Northeast.

 

[Liberty7]

Over in the 'Diseases & Pests' category I posted the article w/link and pictures regardeing late blight which is the potato famine fungus that has been found in NY.

According the article, the disease came to the area because a vegetable wholesaler apparently sold an unnamed major box store some infected tomato plants. The blight affects eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes.

 

[trion]

I am over in NH so not that far and I saw someone else posted that it has been found in Maine too. I looked at photos of late blight and it looks different. But then I read about early blight and that looks more like what my potatoes have. Either way it looks like a fungal issue. From the descriptions it sounds like all the rain is the source of the problem. There may not be much I can do now except take measures to prevent it from spreading to tomatoes and causing problems next year. At least I kept the potatoes away from the garden. Will the rain ever stop?????