Eeks, bit worried re potatoes

[Millie]

Just been reading the article on potatoes and come across this:

Ensure that you do get all of the potatoes out when lifting them as you could end up leaving a nasty disease in your soil.

The allotment Ive just taken over hadnt been worked in a couple of years, and when we dug it over we found tons of potatoes that had been left in the ground. Some had resprouted, but were pretty rotten when we pulled them up. Ive just planted my overground stuff in its place. I was told that I needed to alternate tats and do overground stuff this year in their place. Now Im worried I may have diseased soil!

How can I tell if the soil is manky? I think we got all the tats out, but I cant be certain

[ina]

It'll take a few years until you've got everything out... I keep pulling tatties out that were left 4 or 5 years ago. Don't worry - try to grow your potatoes somewhere where there weren't any before. If that's not possible, go for blight resistant varieties, and always leave 3, better more than that, years before growing them on the same plot again. Always pull any volunteers you see coming up, and don't throw any potato residue on the compost heap.

[Andy Hamilton]

Diseased soil for potatoes anything else should be ok, what have you planted there? Anything from the same family might mean that a strain of something could be picked up, but you should be ok with most things.

[Millie]

Ok, I have so far planted runner beans, cabbages and sprouts. Didnt realise it meant any new potatoes! Ive been told not to grow tats in the same ground 2 years running. I dont think Im going to be able to grow tats this year, think Ive missed that boat?

Thanks, less worried now!

[Andy Hamilton]

glad to hear it

[ina]

I dont think Im going to be able to grow tats this year, think Ive missed that boat?

You'd probably still get some, if you used a variety with a short period til maturity (that would be earlies), and if winter doesn't come too soon - problem is, you probably won't get any seed tatties now... Unless you find somebody who bought too many and hasn't chucked the surplus out yet!

[Andy Hamilton]

I have read that people plant spuds now to get new potatoes for christmas day. Although you will have to protect them now and again.

[hedgewizard]

Yup, did that the year before last - just planted a few of my earlies back in again. Didn't bother with any protection (since in south of country). The potatoes were OK - not a patch on properly grown new earlies, but still as good as the shop bought stuff, easy.