The Prince Edward Island Department of Agriculture and Forestry is advising home gardeners to keep a close watch for potato late blight.
The late blight fungus can attack the leaves and stems of potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. As such, home gardens pose a significant threat to commercial potato growers. Leaf symptoms often appear as large, blackish to grey coloured lesions, sometimes surrounded by a pale green to yellow border. On potato stems, dark black lesions will be found on the upper portions plants.
If you find any infected plants, they should be carefully removed and placed in plastic bags, and left in direct sunlight. Avoid shaking the plants when "bagging," as this may dislodge the fungal spores that spread the disease. Once the plants are dead, the fungus is also destroyed.
Gardeners who want confirmation of diseased plants can deliver samples to any Access PEI office. Samples will be forwarded to the department's Plant Health Diagnostic lab for identification.
Gardeners are encouraged to carry out disease prevention measures by applying late blight control products that are available at most garden centres.
The department also reminds commercial growers that all culls should now have been disposed of. Cull potatoes are the major source for new late blight infections.