Potato tops turn yellow: what to do and how to treat

Almost all vegetable lovers are engaged in growing potatoes. However, not everyone manages to get a quality crop, as potatoes often get sick and are attacked by pests. Many vegetable growers do not know what to do if the tops of potatoes turn yellow. To prevent the plant from turning yellow, it is necessary to understand the causes of this problem and how to fix it.

Should I sound the alarm when potato tops turn yellow?

Some do not know what to do if potato leaves dry and whether to pay attention to this problem. Definitely worth it, since the future harvest depends on the he alth of the grown bushes. If potato leaves begin to turn yellow, the probability of losing almost the entire crop increases by 2-3 times.

If even slight changes in the color of flowers or potato tops appear, you must immediately determine the causes of such changes and start treating plants.

Reasons

It is difficult for inexperienced vegetable growers to independently determine the causes of the yellowness of the leaves and therefore it is recommended to familiarize yourself in advance with the main factors that cause the tops to dry out.

Temperature and humidity

Most often, the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow due to the lack of temperature control when growing a vegetable. Due to severe drought, the leaves located at the bottom of the bushes turn yellow. Over time, yellowing extends to the upper leaves. Sometimes drying out of the soil provokes the appearance of diseases and some gardeners have to deal with the fight against late blight.

When the air temperature exceeds 30-35 degrees, the potatoes have problems with metabolism. It is because of this that the amount of the crop decreases several times.

When growing such a vegetable, it is necessary to ensure that the soil moisture is 60-80%. Therefore, before planting potatoes, an irrigation system is made on the site. Also, to avoid yellowing of the leaves, you need to regularly loosen the soil.

Shortage of fertilizers

Another reason why the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow is the lack of nutrients in the soil. Plants often lack the following elements:

Nitrogen. Determining the lack of this substance is quite simple. To do this, it is enough to examine the leaves of potatoes. With a lack of nitrogen, they turn pale, gradually turn yellow and fall.In order for potato bushes to grow green mass again, it is necessary to restore the flow of nitrogen into the soil. For this, 50 grams of the substance is added per square meter of the plot.
Phosphorus. This substance must be present in the soil, as it is responsible for the formation of tubers and the development of plant roots. With a lack of this important trace element, the bushes tolerate high air temperatures worse, which leads to yellowing of the leaves.
Potassium. Potassium-containing substances found in the soil improve the taste of grown potatoes and increase their immunity. If the plant does not have enough potassium, then this will cause problems with photosynthesis and wilting of the leaves will begin.

Disease development

The reasons why the lower leaves of potatoes turn yellow include common plant diseases. Such disease damage not only worsens the yield, but also completely destroys the potato bushes.

Fungal and bacterial diseases of potatoes

Speaking about why the tops of potatoes dry up and turn yellow, it is necessary to mention fungal diseases. Most often, plants suffer from late blight, which can completely destroy plants. Shrubs become infected with this fungal disease in two ways:

through the remains of infected vegetables that have remained in the ground from last season;
through raw planting stock.

To protect potatoes from fungal diseases, all tubers are treated with fungicides before planting.

Non-parasitic diseases of potatoes

Sometimes potato leaves and tubers wither due to non-communicable diseases that appear due to unsuitable growing conditions for vegetables.

The most common non-parasitic disease is glandular rust, due to which the leaves and fruits of potatoes begin to turn yellow quickly. The disease occurs and actively develops at low humidity and high air temperature. Also during the development of the plant, the disease appears due to a lack of aluminum or phosphorus.

Viral diseases

Viral diseases are the most common diseases that can cause the tops of potatoes to turn yellow. To identify a viral disease, you need to familiarize yourself with the main signs of such diseases. These include wilting, yellowing, and curling of the leaves. However, symptoms may vary depending on the type of disease and potato variety.

Potatoes are infected with viruses through parasites or contact with already infected vegetables. Often, he althy planting material becomes infected with mosaic alfalfa, due to which the amount of chlorophyll in the tops decreases.To prevent the plant from becoming infected with mosaic alfalfa, all tubers are disinfected before planting.

Pest attack

The main reasons why potato bushes turn yellow include the attack of harmful insects.

Gardeners often encounter nematodes that infect cultivated plants. These pests live in the ground and feed on potato tuber juice. When insects suck out a large amount of juice, the plants turn yellow and gradually die.

Another pest that every vegetable grower has to deal with is the Colorado potato beetle. This insect also lives in the ground and feeds on the tops of the plant. If you do not get rid of the Colorado potato beetle in a timely manner, the bushes will die from wilting.

Potato parasites

Potato parasites are very dangerous for this vegetable, as they can reduce yields by two and a half times.The most common parasite is the golden nematode, which penetrates the roots of the bushes. Because of this, the tops of potatoes gradually fade and turn yellow. It is quite difficult to detect a nematode, since with a weak infection, visible signs on plants do not appear immediately. In the first 2-3 weeks, the bushes seem to be absolutely he althy.

There is also a stem nematode that infects plants through their stem. After infection, the fruits of the potato darken and cracks appear on them.

Harmful insects

The causes of yellowing leaves of vegetables are harmful insects that often attack plants.

With insufficient moisture in the ground, wireworms appear that affect the root system with tubers. Root crops affected by wireworms have reduced immunity and because of this, plants are exposed to bacterial diseases, which are accompanied by yellowing of the leaves.

Also, plants are attacked by potato moths, which penetrate the leaves. The main difference of this pest is that it spoils the plant even after harvesting.

Plant protection

To protect the first shoots from pests and diseases, you need to take care of their protection in advance. For this you need:

Plant varieties with immunity to the most common diseases and dangerous insects.
15 days after planting the tubers in the soil, treat the area with garlic solution to preserve the green mass. To prepare it, 350 grams of vegetable is passed through a meat grinder and poured with a liter of heated water. The resulting solution is infused for at least a day, after which it is filtered with gauze. Before using the liquid, another 10 liters of water is added to it so that the solution becomes less concentrated.Spray the bushes with garlic mixture three times a month.
During the flowering of bushes, fungicides can be used for prevention. Ditamine, copper oxychloride and Kuproksat are suitable for this.

Advice from an experienced summer resident

Not everyone knows what to do if the potato turns yellow and dries. To get a quality crop, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic tips for growing this vegetable:

Plant marigolds, peas, oats, beets and cabbage near potato bushes to scare away potato pests.
Urea fertilizers are added to the soil before planting. No more than 700-800 grams of fertilizers are spent per hundred square meters of land.
During planting, the holes should be processed. Bird droppings are added to them with overripe manure mixed with soil.
After disembarkation, the site must be treated with liquid chicken manure. At least ten liters of mortar are consumed per square meter.

Conclusion

Every potato grower has encountered the problem of yellow leaves. To get rid of yellowing, you need to understand the reasons for its appearance and familiarize yourself with the methods of treating bushes.