Hi all,

Just wondering if a few potato experts out there might have some advice. I've grown potatoes in raised beds for several years and this is the first time this has happened.

My potatoes have been flowering for about a week now and I decided to dig up a plant to check on the progress-- maybe get some nice little ones. I noticed that a couple of stems were looking a bit bedraggled and wilting a bit, so I decided to dig those, just in case there were problems.

Problems indeed. The stems just pulled right out of the soil. When I dug, one potato (possibly the starter/seed) had turned to an oozy, almost clear liquid mush. There were new, small potatoes on the plant, some with no visible damage, and at least one that was half rotted. The rotted area was dark brown, soft, with no "line" between the healthy and rotted part.

I dug out the mess in the bed and left the hole open to the air, just to dry things out. The soil was pretty wet 'cause I'd just finished watering (soaker hose, not buried).

I know the probable cause of the problem (using "store bought" potatoes as seed, cutting and not curing or sulfuring the cut edges, and probably watering too much) but here are my questions:

1. Will the rot spread to nearby potato plants? I'm using raised beds and the spacing is rather close.

2. Should I use a neem/water drench to help check fungal disease?

3. Should I dig up the plants in the vicinity just in case? The surrounding plants look healthy.

4. What else can I do to keep the remaining plants healthy?

What do you potato veterans think? Thanks in advance for any help.