{"id":308,"date":"2012-08-22T18:48:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T17:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gsu.eventmedialabs.com\/?p=308"},"modified":"2016-01-18T17:20:35","modified_gmt":"2016-01-18T17:20:35","slug":"8-tips-for-managing-potato-blight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greensideup.ie\/8-tips-for-managing-potato-blight\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Tips for Managing Potato Blight"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>Here we are, almost at the end of August and three months after first being alerted, still hearing potato\u00a0blight warnings<\/a>\u00a0in Ireland.\u00a0Not surprising really given the damp warm conditions Ireland has been under for many weeks, but if you’re growing potatoes or tomatoes it’s imperative you keep vigilant.<\/p>\n Blight is tricky to control organically and there’s a lot of\u00a0confusion about what home growers are ‘allowed’ to use or not.<\/p>\n A couple of years ago I was informed that I could use copper sulphate, which was available as Bluestone in most chemists and that I could\u00a0make up my own\u00a0Burgundy mixture (a mix of copper sulphate, washing soda & water).\u00a0 However, on enquiry\u00a0at the local pharmacy I was told that they were no longer allowed to sell\u00a0Bluestone and that it was illegal\u00a0to make up my own solution<\/em><\/strong>, so that scuppered that idea.<\/p>\n Blight is a parasitic fungus (Phytophthora infestans)<\/em> that usually attacks in the summer months in humid conditions and is carried on the wind.\u00a0 It can attack leaves, stems and tubers and can also cause Tomato Blight as tomatoes and potatoes are in the same (Solanacea) family.<\/p>\n<\/a>What can organic growers do to prevent blight affecting crops?<\/h2>\n
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