Topic: Potatoes: Digging them up before the slugs

[thomasb]

Given all the rain etc I have noticed that the slugs have began to damage some of my potatoes. I am thinking of digging them up over the next few weeks before too much damage has been done. However, I have a problem. One of my rows of potatoes, Cara, are still very green and when I tried some this weekend I noticed that the skin on the potatoes are soft, i.e. easily damaged. Therefore, they are not very suitable for storage until the skin toughens up a bit. I know that it is recommended that potatoes are left to dry in the sun for a few hours before storing. I was wondering if the potatoes will toughen up in the soil if I cut the green foilage off over ground.

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Thomas

[Lady Cosmos]

I am not sure what to do with cara potatoes. I never grow them because Cara is a very late crop. I start digging my potatoes, Maris Peer and Pentland squire. But the skin has set. I know that is important, What I do to get the slugs away is putting some leaves from cabbage in one corner and all the sluga are moving to the leaves and away from my potatoes, Maybe that will help????.

[Hugh_Jones]

See the Thread "Do Second Earlies Keep?" on p.2