Do you know which disease killed your potatoes? The soil should be OK. Just don't plant potatoes again in the same place, or anything related. Look for disease resistant varieties. Did you ever try growing potatoes in a whisky barrel or tub? It works really well. Just fill the barrel/tub with new sterile soil from the garden center. Tip the barrel over to harvest.

Hi there Paul, many thanks for your advice:-). I am unsure of the disease. I am still looking into it. Some kind of blight I think, mind you, there was a lot of damage to the leaves, as if something was eating it..?? So I put a few potatoes of the same variety in a border and some in a big plastic tub filled with fresh compost. Same thing happened to both of them. Once again though, thanks so much for your response and I will just leave the soil in the border and grow something unrelated in it in the Spring. Stay well. Eva

Eva, when did you start growing these potatoes, in spring or autumn? If autumn unless you bought the specially treated ones for harvesting around Christmas it is very likely they just rotted. Another thought, you don't say where you are in the UK, have you had a lot of rain as if the ground is completely waterlogged that can also cause the tubers to rot.

Hello Ms Moon:-), thank you muchly. Yes, I think you might be right as I did plant them in the Autumn. This is very useful what you told me, thanks. Also, I live on Skye, so, yes it can be quite wet up here :-)), although this has happened in my polytunnel. Thanks again:-).

My sense is they rotted rather than contacted blight but, without seeing it is extremely difficult to give and accurate answer. What happened to the shaws?

Hello MG, the Shaws are close neighbours of mine and are very well thankyou - or have I got this wrong ?

Tattie shaws Hank :) We are Shaws too!

I thought 'blight' was an airborne disease and not related to soil conditions. Is this right MoonGrowe?

Yes it is Bathgate, which is why I am suspecting that the tatties simply rotted due to wet conditions. Skye can be seriously wet! Eva next time try growing in a polytunnel.

I knew what you meant MG. Bill Shaw - my long time Scottish friend taught me lots of words, shaws being among them. I was just kidding.