Can one get a warning that potato blight or tomato blight is imminent?

Question

This humid weather is similar to last year when our tomatoes were decimented in one night from tomato blight.

Answer 1

I know our weather forecast here in Ireland does let us know (possibly because we have a large farming community) when a blight is likely due to the warm humid weather. I have no idea how you prevent it destroying your crop though.

Answer 2

I can sort of warn you about the potatoes. My supplier said he wasn't stocking 2nd earlies, (or was it 2nd mains, it was a while ago,I think it was the ones I wanted to harvest for the christmas dinner table) this year as there was so much blight in all the seed varieties. So I geuss all the people who bought seed potatoes from other suppliers are busy propogating blight at the moment.Or maybe my supplier had run out and wanted to look virtuous.Sorry I geuss I'm not much help but I thought I'd better pass on what I had been told. Good luck.

Answer 3

Farmers get a warning from the Met Office about blight-favourable weather conditions, so that they can spray the crops effectively. This is a chargeable service, but if you listen to the Farming programme on BBC Radio 4  at 5.45am EVERY MORNING you may hear a blight warning  mentioned. No promises though, I'm still asleep  !

Answer 4

Potatoe blight gives no warning, you simply have to spray them with a copper based spray before the blighter sets in.

Answer 5

One way to help prevent it is to cover the soil around the plant with plastic or newspaper, anything to help keep the plant away from the contaminated soil.  And if you get blight, never plant in the same place again next year, it overwinters in the soil.