Umm Pippa, I don't see the point in putting frosted spuds on a comheap as they don't add any worthwhile bulk to it. I did that once many moons ago in the days when we had proper frosts, 40 - 50 years back. We had sorted out a load of iffy potatoes that weren't fit even to cook up for the hens, so being a helpful little lad, put them on the heap. Along came the rats, mother blew a fuse but the family German Shepherd loved the 'sport'. A few days of frosts followed, cold enough to cap the river with ice and completely sorted out the old spuds. The compost was turned into a smelly sloppy mushy mess...........ugh!
I recall the main worry dad had with growing spuds was with late frosts, eelworm and very occasionally, blight. Don't seem to hear much about eelworm these days. KE
Luckily there were not that many spuds to go in the compost....and my compost ehap is more of a mountain, so there is no prob putting spuds in it. And yes blight can be in a plot, Mags, as the spores may be washed down off the haulms and into the soil where they can persist on volunteer spuds etc.
INTERESTING YOU LOST YOUR STORED POTATOES. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW THAT IF A NUMBER OF THEM HAD BEEN WHAT IS CALLED HERE IN CORNWALL ONTARIO - THE BLUE RUSSIAN POTATO, CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE, THAT DESTROYED PROBABLY ALL OF YOUR SEED, MAY WELL NOT HAVE DONE IN THIS BLUE POTATO. I HAVE LOST ALL RED'S, YUKON GOLDS, KENNEBECS WHENSTORED IMPROPERLY WITH BLUE POTATOES AND MOST OF THE BLUES SURVIVED. I LOVE THE BLUE FRENCH FRIES IT MAKES. SERVE THEM IN A WHITE CHIP BOX AND OFFER KETCHUP. YOU BRITISH SHOULD LOVE THE RED WHITE AND BLUE FEAST FOR THE EYE AND PALATE. DON'T FORGET TO OFFER MAYO. FOR AN EXTRA HEALTH TREAT TO THESE ANTIOXIDANT POTATES IS BRAGG'S CIDER VINEGAR.
i have been heaping up my potatoes for weeks they were tall today they are limp as the the frost got to them i was away from home and was unable to sheet them up can anyone tell me will they die or is there a chance of them surviving i am a novice at gardening,or should i dig them up and replant some more main crop
The same thing happened to me. The foliage is only a couple of inches (50mm) high but the frost has wilted it and turned it black. Anwser eagerly awaited.
Me too....panicked first of all thinking my potatoes had some sort of disease but it seems that it may just be the frost! Im keeping my fingers crossed that they will rally round!
Ahh have managed to find some more information from other blog sites....the potatoes will be fine after frost damage and no alteration to taste...the foliage will take a battering and die back but apparantly they will rally round, maturity of the plant may be set back a bit. Yay!
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I recall the main worry dad had with growing spuds was with late frosts, eelworm and very occasionally, blight. Don't seem to hear much about eelworm these days.
KE
And yes blight can be in a plot, Mags, as the spores may be washed down off the haulms and into the soil where they can persist on volunteer spuds etc.
I have two types, salad and King edwards?
Thanks for your post.