Guardian: Don’t be put off growing potatoes

Garden and greenhouse owners should not be put off growing their own potatoes by the blight that has swept the UK in the past three years.

According to the Guardian, the new Blue 13 strain of disease has caused major problems, which have been exacerbated by the wet weather.

However, growers should not despair, as there are still a few varieties which offer some resistance to this “menace”.

Thanks to our Soviet cousins, potatoes like the Sarpo can be grown in the UK and offer high resistance to [the?] blight.

The newspaper noted that they grow into massive tubers and make great chips thanks to their floury texture.

Other useful varieties include Mira and Axona, although traditional favourites such as Cara, Remarka, Lady Balfour and Valor have little resistance left and may be difficult to successfully grow until conditions improve.

Those who still wish to try susceptible varieties should remove all foliage as soon as the first signs of blight appear on the leaves.

They should then be harvested within three weeks to help stop the spread of disease and salvage the potatoes.

Meanwhile, Cool Springs Press has published two new books that may be of interest to garden and greenhouse fans.