French Fingerling

Late blight (often shows as dark, water-soaked leaf spots that rapidly turn brown) and early blight are the most common serious diseases in potato crops. Start with clean seed tubers, avoid wetting the foliage, and remove any heavily infected leaves early; if conditions are humid and disease pressure is high, use a labeled protectant fungicide and reapply according to the label schedule. Watch for potato leafhoppers and aphids only in early infestations—blast aphids off with water and remove badly affected leaves to reduce spread.

French Fingerling potatoes are typically ready around 85 days after planting; for “new” potatoes you can harvest a little earlier, once plants have flowered. For the best fingerling size, harvest when foliage begins to yellow and die back, and check by gently digging—tubers should have firm skins that don’t rub off easily. Harvest on a dry day, then let them cure briefly in a cool, airy place to toughen the skins before storage.