Topic: arrgh my spuds are minging!!

[timmyc]

This is the first year I've grown potatoes and the Pentland Javelin that I planted all seemed to be doing fine - till I dug them up.

2 problems seemed to be there .

1 a few had deem small circular holes in them where something had burrowed
2 a lot of them had what looked like circular pieces taken out of them a few millimeters deep - in random patterns - some potatoes had a few and some were so covered that they seemed to be totally re-shaped.

Any ideas what has caused this? And do I need to do anything to make sure they keep off the main crop??

[sarahr]

Worms and slugs. Little *fatherless children*, I've got a load of them munching my potatoes as well. Not sure what to do. I think I heard that watering a weak coffee solution, and planting coffee grounds in the hole keeps the slugs away.

[Mrs Ava]

Slugs and eelworms!  GGRR  My allotment is soooooooooooo dry now I can't imagine slugs could survive.  What to do, grow resistant varieties I guess or use slug bait.

[djbrenton]

According to the expert at Ryton potato day, slugs tend to exploit the holes left by wireworm, so getting rid of wireworm should be first priority. Try planting sacrificial potatoes to take up before your genuine planting.

[Sprout]

As previous post suggests, it could be wireworm especially if you had grass previously covering the plot where the spuds are now. I've got them but they mostly seem to have gone for some of my red onions (don't seem to like the whites very much).

[wardy]

I grew Desiree as apparently slugs don't like them as much as other varieties.  Not harvested any yet though so I'll wait and see  :)

[Merlins Mum]

I grew Desiree this year and have harvested some and they are fine.

MM

[Robert_Brenchley]

Wireworms do disappear eventually, just get the grass out and be patient.