Hi there,
I see you didn’t cover potato scab. I know all the recommendations to rotate the garden planting, to have consistent watering and to use seed that is resistant to scab. I have done the rotation and, consistent watering but I want to save the seed because they have been passed down through 3 generations or more and were imported to Canada from Europe.
I tried sulfur too because I hear commercial farmers use this and it helped but I still had it. I tried adding more phosphates because I heard that prevented it. Since then I have learned that this experiment was not a good idea so I had my soil tested and found out I have caused an excess of phosphate and depletion of calcium. I have the recommended ingredients to balanced this out.
Do you have any other suggestions? what about soaking the seed potatoes in milk before planting them, or something similar?
Hi Sonja, excellent question. Yes that is a tough situation. One thing you could try is adjusting the pH of the soil although this could negatively affect growing other crops in it. A soil that is acid enough can inhibit scab causing organisms. Here is a link with some more ideas you could take a look at: https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/plant-disease/potato-scab/
Great question Karen! What we mean by a balanced garden is that you are focusing on building healthy balanced soil (with the right balance of nutrients and minerals in it for your plants as well as microorganisms). But we also are talking about the whole ecosystem. You want to encourage a balance of beneficial insects to help combat negative ones. When nature is in balance it runs the smoothest. Does that make sense?
I’m no expert but I have done much research on the subject of composting and it is said not to use anything that was diseased. I’ve done my composting and make sure everything that goes in is dead but not from disease.
7 Comments
Sonja Rebsomen
April 8, 2020Hi there,
I see you didn’t cover potato scab. I know all the recommendations to rotate the garden planting, to have consistent watering and to use seed that is resistant to scab. I have done the rotation and, consistent watering but I want to save the seed because they have been passed down through 3 generations or more and were imported to Canada from Europe.
I tried sulfur too because I hear commercial farmers use this and it helped but I still had it. I tried adding more phosphates because I heard that prevented it. Since then I have learned that this experiment was not a good idea so I had my soil tested and found out I have caused an excess of phosphate and depletion of calcium. I have the recommended ingredients to balanced this out.
Do you have any other suggestions? what about soaking the seed potatoes in milk before planting them, or something similar?
Paul
May 20, 2020Hi Sonja, excellent question. Yes that is a tough situation. One thing you could try is adjusting the pH of the soil although this could negatively affect growing other crops in it. A soil that is acid enough can inhibit scab causing organisms. Here is a link with some more ideas you could take a look at: https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/plant-disease/potato-scab/
Karen Chiarini
May 19, 2020Hi, Paul. Can you tell me what you mean by a “balanced garden”? You use this term when at the end of this video. Thanks!
Paul
May 20, 2020Great question Karen! What we mean by a balanced garden is that you are focusing on building healthy balanced soil (with the right balance of nutrients and minerals in it for your plants as well as microorganisms). But we also are talking about the whole ecosystem. You want to encourage a balance of beneficial insects to help combat negative ones. When nature is in balance it runs the smoothest. Does that make sense?
Karen Chiarini
May 30, 2020Yes, that does makes sense Paul. thank you!
Larry Yates
February 21, 2023Hey Paul, can you use the plant itself in the compost bin if the fruit has been diseased?
Linda J Lawson
July 2, 2023I’m no expert but I have done much research on the subject of composting and it is said not to use anything that was diseased. I’ve done my composting and make sure everything that goes in is dead but not from disease.