Soft Rot in the Heirloom Garden

Soft Rot affects all potatoes, sweet potato, onion, carrot, tomato, beans, corn, cabbage and other crucifers.

Symptoms include rotted plant tissues that are wet, cream to tan in color, and soft. Rot begins on the tuber surface and progresses inward. Infected tissues are sharply delineated from healthy tissue by dark brown or black margins. Shallow necrotic spots on the tubers result from infections through lenticels. Rotting tissue is usually odorless in the early stages of decay, but develops a foul odor as secondary organisms invade infected tissue. Soft rot can also infect wounded stems and roots.