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Old 17-07-2008, 05:36 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Nick Maclaren Nick Maclaren is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,752
Default Blight again folks


In article ,
"Bob Hobden" writes:
|
| I appreciate that Nick, I know I am being illogical and unscientific but all
| my life I've had experts tell me things only to do about-turns a few years
| on, so in the case of diseased plant material where the possible long term
| contamination of my soil is at stake I will always be cautious.

But that's half the point! Blight ISN'T a soil-borne disease, let
alone a durable one - even if you get the overwintering strain, it
won't cause long-term contamination of the soil.

The same isn't true of spraing, which can be imported on contaminated
seed potatoes and probably in compost/soil. I have had to give up
maincrop potatoes because of it, and the only solutions are either
drench the whole garden to a depth of feet in truly evil chemicals
or not grow any potatoes (or all Solanacea?) for a decade :-(

And it's not true of half a dozen other diseases, either, which
can be imported in soil/compost or on seed potatoes.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.