Whats happening to my Potatoes

I didnt get to watering them one day, they got kinda droopy and its been downhill from there. The leaves and stalks perked back up a bit but they never did return to their full upright nature. Soon I started noticing yellowing and spotted leaves. I sprayed with a fungicide, but that doesn't seem to have helped. Someone please help me save these, they were doing so well.

 

Hello and welcome.

I've been growing taties since I was a kid and I've never seen them do that. Is something eating them? (aphids, slugs etc). Although I can't say I've ever known anything eat the top growth. Have they been fed? The yellowing is a generic condition called chlorosis, which can be a sign of disease, but is more common with mineral deficiencies.

 

Welcome to GC Metalhead 15. I know absolutely nothing about growing potatoes but I think you would do better with your post in the Edible Gardening section.

 

I reckon either Early Blight (spots will look like concentric rings, not sure from your photos, particularly the one that shows it only along the edges of the leaf) in which case you can probably just ignore it or Magnesium deficiency (dunno the treatment for that, could well be Epsom Salts)

 

I thought it might have been blight as well which is why I sprayed the fungicide. How would I go about applying epsom salts?

 

Also why would ignoring the blight be a viable option? Won't it just get worse and contaminate my soil for next year?

 

Early Blight not the same thing as Main Season Blight.

 

I don't think it's blight. To me, they just look like they're 'going over'

 

What do you mean "going over"?

 

They must be very early ones if they're done now surely? They do look done to me but I was put off by the fact its only early June, and I didn't think there'd be many, if any, ready in the UK yet.

 

They are in a tub, might have been under cover earlier?

Metalhead 15 can you put your Location in your Profile please.

 

Hi Metalhead.

It means that the plant has come to the end of it's growing cycle, and dying off. It's quite early for this normal process, so maybe it was brought about by a lack of water at some stage? IMO, Potatoes don't like to have their growth checked, and will soon start to 'go over' without reaching their potential, both above and below ground.

 

Mine were planted in pots in the greenhouse in early march, they are now yellowing after flowering & after digging down there are some decent size spuds in there.
Just think it's normal.