potato bed

What are the major objections to growing spuds in the same place as the previous year? Basically, my small beds are a bit chocker with sprouts and broccolli and I was hoping to get some spuds started early under fleece protection and my only option is the bed where they grew last year.

 

Blight & Scab spring to mind, but seeing i've got both those on the plot anyway.

Nutrient depletion, but you could add more of that.

I've had reasonable crops where spuds that got missed have come up.

 

All my spuds come up slightly scabby anyway but I guess that down to growing on chalk.
I have already dug in some well rotted stable manure so nutrients shouldn't be a problem.
Fortunately I have never experienced Blight but I didn't want to invite it.

 

In that case only plant certified seed potatoes and try to make sure there are none left in the bed from last year before you replant.

You're quite right, wouldn't want to tempt it in.

Too true about the scab, it loves chalk.

Don't know how I got it as West Bay soil is a bit lime poor & I was using certified seed on a part thats not had spuds on before

 

Sorry about your own site problems Zig, many thanks once again for your positive input, solid gold.

 

My pleasure,

Not really a problem, apart from spraying against the blight, scab is only superficial, just meant I didn't get a prize for my spuds last show.

They still taste great though

 

An old fellow in Sussex told me a long time ago about spraying or drenching with calcium something which counteracts the scab caused by lime but I can't think for the life of me what it was!
How's the new job?

 

I can't see how 'calcium something' could counteract scab caused by lime as lime is derived from calcium and is alkaline as is calcium.