Black potato leaves

I am new to growing potatoes and finally have some leaves coming through on my Maris pipers. What do the black leaves mean, are they diseased, if so what did I do wrong? 


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Central Norfolk UKPosts: 55,118
    Could be a frost problem
    ... that's why we earth them up... check the weather forecast and if there’s an overnight/early morning frost forecast take up the soil from between the rows  to cover them. 
    Doing this also increases the yield. 
    Don’t take the soil from too close to the plants or you’ll risk uncovering the roots. 

  • Do I still need to earth them up in a 40l container?
  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Hampshire Coast 100m from the seaPosts: 1,089

    Did you fill the container up to the top when planting? if so then just cover them with fleece or old news papers if frost is forecast.

    The correct way to plant potatoes in containers is to put 3 or 4 inches of compost in the bottom then add the tubers and cover these with another 3 or 4 inches of compost, then when the leaves appear cover these again with 3 or 4 inches and continue the process until the container is full of compost to an inch or so of the top to allow for watering.

    If you filled it to the top straight away don't panic all is not lost you will still get potatoes but maybe not such a good yield.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
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