Dealing with potatoes
With potatoes, if you’re in an area that suffers from blight often, you’re probably best to grow first earlies or salad potatoes; these should be ready to harvest before blight becomes a problem as it can on later-cropping varieties. You can also buy blightresistant varieties, which are becoming better tasting. The early ones developed were a bit bland to be honest. In a way, blight is a pain on potatoes, but you’ll at least be able to save your tubers if you act quickly. At the first sign of blight remove affected haulms (foliage) and dispose of them in the household waste. This should slow the spread and allow the tubers more time to swell. Sadly, you’ll see the symptoms spread steadily down the plants towards the tubers, so it’s now time to remove the foliage at ground level, then leave the tubers in the ground for two weeks before digging to allow the skins to thicken, as this will mean they store for longer when harvested.