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General Information	Potato Troubles
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Potato
Sowing Time	Planting Time	Soil	Spacing	Cutting / Lifting Time	Storage	Cooking
There are two main groups of potatoes. Earlies to provide new potatoes and Main Crop to be stored for use over Winter. Potatoes are produced from seed potatoes. These are usually from certified virus free plants and will probably have been chitted to produce small shoots before planting. Keep the seed potatoes in egg boxes in a light, frost-free room for about six weeks to allow the shoots to continue growing. Once planted the crop should be covered with a good layer of soil and continue to be earthed-up throughout the growing season to avoid Greening which is poisonous. Ensure they are kept well watered during dray weather. Earlies can be lifted once the flowers are fully open. For main crops wait until the foliage is brown, lift the roots, let them dry out then place in a wooden box and leave in a frost-free shed until needed. They should last until Spring. To avoid problems next year ensure the whole crop is removed from the soil.
n/a	Mid March to early May	Can be grown in any soil preferably in a sunny spot. Dig in the Autumn and add manure or compost. Never add lime.	Earlies should be planted 12ins apart and Main Crops 15ins. Rows of Earlies should be 24ins apart and Main Crops 30ins apart.	Mid June to Mid October	Store in a cool, dark place. Will keep for two weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. To freeze: blanch new potatoes in water and chips in oil for 3mins. Cool and drain before freezing.	New potatoes should be washed, not peeled, and boiled for 12 mins. Old potatoes should be scrubbed or scraped, cut into chunks and cooked for 15-20mins. Parboil for 5 mins before roasting for 45 mins.

Potato Troubles
Trouble	Symptoms	Treatment	Prevention
Aphid	Plant infested with greenfly.	Spray at first sign of attack	None
Blackleg	Blackened stems at and below ground level. Leaves turn yellow and wilt.	None	Do not plant soft or rotten seed tubers and don't cut tubers
Capsid Bug	Small brown spots in leaves, later turn into holes	Spray if attack is bad, will not affect yield	None
Common Scab	Ragged-edged scurfy patches. Only on the skin, the flesh is not affected.	None	Buy healthy seed tubers. Do not Lime.
Dry Rot	Shrunken area with white pustules occur during storage.	None	Rotate crops. Ensure tubers are sound before storing and handle carefully.
Frost	Black stems or yellow patches on leaves	None	Cover if frost is expected
Gapping	Seed potatoes do not develop shoots	None	Buy healthy seed tubers and ensure they are kept in a frost-free location
Gangrene	Dark brown depressions on the surface of the tuber	None	Store only sound tubers and keep air and frost-free
Hollow Heart	Hollow centre of tubers	None	Keep well watered during dry spells
Leaf Roll Virus	Leaves are rolled upwards and become hard and brittle	None	Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray to control the virus-carrying aphids.
Mosaic Virus	Yellow or pale green mottling over the surface of the leaf	None	Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray to control the virus-carrying aphids.
Magnesium Deficiency	Yellowing between the veins of the leaves which turns brown and brittle. Stunted growth.	Apply MultiTonic and spray with Fillip	Feed regularly during the growing season using a fertiliser with magnesium
Potato Blight	Brown patches on the leaves with white mould on the underside of each spot. Can destroy all the foliage. grey patches below the skin.	None	Buy healthy seed tubers. Spray with Dithane in July and repeat every fortnight if the weather is damp. Keep earthed up.
Potato Cyst Eelworm	Weak and stunted plants. Small tubers produced	None	Rotate crops. Don't grow potatoes or tomatoes on infected land for at least six years
Powdery Scab	Round patches with raised margins on the skin.	None	Rotate crops
Rosy Rustic Moth	Hollow stems causing plants to die down early	None	None
Splitting	Deep cracks on surface of tubers	None	Do not store. Keep plants well watered during dry spells.
Slugs	Large holes in the tubers	None	Don't add too much manure and lift tubers as soon as they mature. Keep the area free of rubbish.
Spraing	Curved lines in the flesh	None	Rotate crops
Soft Rot	Soft, evil-smelling flesh	None	Store only sound tubers and keep dry
Spindly Sprouts	Thin shoots	Stand tubers in a light cool place	Buy healthy seed tubers and ensure they are sprouted in a light, frost-free location.
Soft Tubers	Soft and rubbery tubers	None	Water well during drought conditions
Wireworm	Orange, shiny larvae produce tunnels in the flesh of tubers	None	Rake Chlorophos into the soil before planting and lift tubers as soon as they are mature.
Wart Disease	Black warty outgrowths on tubers	None	Only plant immune varieties on infected land

General Information	Potato Troubles
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