Many gardeners do not pay attention to the external signs of the tubers when harvesting potatoes. The main thing is that the potatoes are large.
But in fact, if the vegetable is covered with a growth or crust, then it's time to talk about scab. The disease itself will not go away, and the harvest will get worse and worse every year.
Potato scab
The main danger of scab is that such potatoes do not store for long, they should not be used for seeds, and if the fruit is severely affected, the taste changes, and the vegetable itself becomes unfit for consumption.
Reasons
Often the disease develops during a dry summer, or due to the fault of the gardeners themselves.
In the latter case, this may be a passion for ash fertilizers and the use of unrotted manure.
Owners of slightly acidic soils are least likely to encounter this problem.
Can it be cured?
One option is to add 200-300 grams of gypsum per square meter during digging followed by abundant watering. The effect should last for about five years.
Another less popular method is to use fallen pine needles. They acidify the soil and contain phytoncides, which generally improves the health of the soil.
However, this method is effective only for minor scab infestations.
