Potato Pests and Diseases

There are many pests and diseases that can potentially harm your potato crop. Of these, only around four or five can cause serious harm, which include Potato Blight, Wireworm and slugs. By buying certified virus-free seeds from your garden centre you will be able to avoid some of the more manacing viruses. Some of the more common and dangerous diseases and pests are outlined below:

• Potato Blight - This is the most serious of all diseases that can affect your potato crop. Main symptom is appearance of brown patches on leaves with white mould fringe's on their underside and is most common during August in the wet season. There is no cure or treatment for this disease once it has taken hold of your crop so it is advisable to spray with a fungicide during July and September if growing a particularly susceptible variety.
• Slugs - Slugs tend to attack potato crops around August time and can be particularly damaging to maincrop varieties that are still in the soil. Using slug pellets can help keep the problem under control. Certain varieties are more susceptible to slug attacks.
• Wireworm - Wireworm is particularly common in new gardens during the wet weather and leaves your potatoes with a series of narrow tunnels carved through their flesh. Unfortunately there is no treatment available for the home gardener.
• Potato Cyst Eelworm - Recognisable due to weak appearance in plants, withering of lower leaves and obvious signs of halm dying down prematurely, there is no cure for this disease and all plants suspected of having it should be destroyed. In order to prevent this, ensure you rotate your crops and do not plant susceptible potatoes in an infected spot for at least six years.
• Common Scab - Whilst this disease does not affect the edibility of the potatoes as it onyl affects the skin it is unsightly and undesirable. There is no official treatment for Common Scab but ensuring you grow a resistant potato variety such as Wilja potatoes and do not lime the soil before planting you should be OK.

Storing Your Potatoes

Once you have harvested your potato it is important to store it correctly and in the right conditions. Potatoes should be stored in a frost free space where they are not in direct sunlight as this may turn them green and make them inedible.

The temperature should be moderate as too much heat will encourage them to sprout. When storing potatoes it is a good idea to check them periodically to ensure that any rotting or damaged potatoes are removed and cannot harm the rest of the crop.

So, What Now?

Once you have grown your potatoes it is completely up to you how you cook them. There are literally thousands of ways you can enjoy your potatoes but one thing is for sure; you're bound to enjoy them more having grown them yourself!