Problems with potatoes
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on potatoes.
Common problems with potatoes
The problems recorded on potatoes, the most common first.
19 problems
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Late blight
Dark, water-soaked patches that spread fast in warm, wet weather, killing leaves, stems and fruit. -
Bacterial soft rot and blackleg
Stems black and slimy at the base, or tubers and heads rotting into foul-smelling mush. -
Cold and frost damage
Blackened, glassy shoots after a cold night. Tender plants collapse; hardy ones grow out of it. -
Colorado potato beetle
Striped yellow and black beetles and red larvae stripping potato leaves. -
Early blight
Brown spots with target-like rings on the lower leaves of tomatoes and potatoes. -
Wireworms
Narrow, round holes bored through potatoes and root crops. -
Aphids
Small, soft insects clustered on new growth and under leaves, leaving sticky honeydew. -
Slugs and snails
Ragged holes in leaves and seedlings gone overnight, with silvery slime trails. -
Flea beetles
Lots of tiny round holes in young leaves, and small beetles that jump when disturbed. -
Heat stress
Afternoon wilting, dropped flowers and stalled fruit in a hot spell, even in moist soil. -
Leafhoppers
Pale stippling on leaves and small insects that hop sideways when disturbed. -
Magnesium deficiency
Yellow between the veins of older leaves, veins still green. Common on tomatoes.
