Potato blight tubers in storage

I posted a blog some time ago about the best way to deal with potatoes with early signs of blight.

Consensus was to remove the foliage and dig the potatoes up ASAP.

This I did and have discovered it was probably the best course of action because I have discovered quite a few potatoes that have been in store have developed what I can assume is blight that was not present at the time of digging. I have been checking the tubers regularly and removing the affected ones. They are stored in a cool dark place in baskets allowing the air to circulate round them.

Picture shows a PFA and Charlotte, the big one has turned quite mushy

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Comment by Darren Blick on August 4, 2012 at 20:34: Yes, if you don't get them out in time, it's all over

Comment by elaine rickett on August 5, 2012 at 11:48: This happened to me one year - I thought I had managed to save the crop and stored them in paper sacks only to find the whole lot had rotted - what a stink - what a shame!

Comment by David Shaw on August 6, 2012 at 8:29: Can you clarify what you did, David? You say you cut off the foliage and lifted the potatoes. But did you leave the tubers in the ground, undisturbed for at least 3 weeks to allow them to skin-thicken and to allow all the spores that are contaminating the soil to die off. This is essential if you are storing the crop or most of it. If you harvest immediately after cutting down, you cannot help but break the very delilcate skin and allow viable blight spores in the soil to infect the tubers. Even varieties with high tuber resistance ratings to blight will get infected unless left in ground. Chrolotte is quite tuber-resistant and i have harvested many a sound crop of Charlotte from a plot whose foliage was destroyed by blight. Pink FA is another thing - susceptible in foliage and tuber. Tubers will get infected when spores are washed down into soil before they are anywhere near mature. I always cut foliage of PFA as soon as I see blight and wait for a sunny, warm day! after 3 weeks to harvest. Good luck with your stored tubers.