Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: thomasb on January 03, 2007, 20:25:14
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Hi All,
Slugs are a big problem on my allotment plot. If i sow certain varieties of potatoes they will be rippled with holes while a slug resistant variety sowed in the row beside it would not be touched.
Therefore, I would welcome comments on the varieties that people sow who also have slug problems. I am especially interested in second early and maincrop varieties.
Thanks,
Thomas
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I always do very well with kestrel for 2nd earlies. Never done maincrop but having done tons of research this past 3weeks on spuds I am gonna go for Desiree as maincrop as they seemto be the one with most resistance to the majority of pests adn diseases.
Sarpo Axona is a newish, late variety from hungary apparently. read it on a thread on here somewhere as part of my research. I am gonna try these too - if I can ever find a supplier of them. (Anybody know where I can get 'em ;))
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Hi ktlawason,
If you can I would suggest you go to a Potato Day. These are held all over the country in the months of Jan and Feb. At some of these events you will find over a hundred varieties of potatoes. I hope to go to the one in Gloucestershire later this month.
I attach a link to where they are taking place.
http://www.thewhitchurchweb.org/potatoday/potatodays.htm
Thomas
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Don't bother with Saxona, you won't be impressed!
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Wasn't that the one on the other thread that got better with storage?
Oh yes... the nematodes work well on all but the heaviest soil... I had to put them in for two-three years before I got good control Looking back I would probably have had good results if I had put them in twice six weeks apart.
:-X
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I remember watching a gardeners world programme last year at the end of trials on slug resistant potatoes. Only one variety harvested without a single slug but I missed the name. Others had up to 90% attack. Did anyone else watch the programme and can also remember the name?
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Yep, re Sarpo Axona on the other thread... that was me!
They're only available through Thompson & Morgan (£4.49 for 20 tubers, £4.99 for ditto but organic).
If you visit their website, they have a section devoted to slug-resistant spuds (they rate Sarpo Mira for this, rather than Axona). Possibly worth a look?
http://potatoes.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/list/resists-slugs
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Ktlawson, I grew Desiree a couple of years ago and they were riddled with slug holes. Also why not grow Kestrel for your main crop they are a very good variety and keep well.
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I remember watching a gardeners world programme last year at the end of trials on slug resistant potatoes. Only one variety harvested without a single slug but I missed the name. Others had up to 90% attack. Did anyone else watch the programme and can also remember the name?
Hi Bill
I remember that programme, here's the name and percentage of damage by slugs...
kondor 11%
charlotte 5%
Ratte 2%
Picasso 42%
Maris Bard 40%
Cara 27%
Foremost 12%
Kestrel 0%
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2 years ago I got virtually no perfect potatoes. They all had extensive slug damage.
Last year I grew Lady Christl, Kestrel, Roseval, PFA and Orla. They were all great.
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Yet our Picasso grown on our dampest, heaviest plot were relatively unscathed this year... probably no more than 5% ????
:-\
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That's good news about Kestrel as I'm trying them for the first time this year for that reason.
Happy New Year everyone!
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Yes Saddad: I think it was Tim who recommended Picasso, so I'm giving them a whirl.
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Yet our Picasso grown on our dampest, heaviest plot were relatively unscathed this year... probably no more than 5% ????
:-\
Based on my own experience, I recommended Picasso some years ago. The person then grew them and complained that she had NO potatoes at all, only empty shells.
Talking to gardeners at shows it seems that just like taste, potatoes are very susceptible to growing conditions as far as slig damage is concerned so they may vary on the same soil in different years. The only solution that I know is to lift as soon as possible!!
Phil
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Yes the first time I tried them they were badly slugged... perhaps the nematodes are winning after all ???
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Don't bother with Saxona, you won't be impressed!
Do tell why?.....
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Have grown Sarpo types for two years now, and added Axona to the Mira in 2006.
They aren't a spectacular tasting spud, but both Sarpo types do seem to have good slug resistance on my plots in Chessington(clay with 6" dirrt on top...).
However, something else took out the innards of quite a few!
They have stored well and the 2005 crop lasted out until 04/2006 before giving up the ghost.
T&M make them available at almost all the potato days or you can order them online or via their catalogue.
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Owing to water shortage King Ed's last year were small and what there was had been nailed by slugs and then polished off completely by blight. Nematodes and blight resistant vars. for me this year!! Lance
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Hi Delboy,
Tried the (expensive) Sarpo jobbies a couple of years ago after a disastrous year of blight.
Never again, one variety was riddled with slugs, the other with eel worm, oh! yes
they stood tall until November, have you tried digging spuds then in stickie clay? Went back to my faithfull Desiree.
This year no probs. - except for ring rot whatever?
It is within the seed!
DONT BUY YOUR SEED TATTIES FROM THE SHEDS!
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So when do you reckon the best time is to use nematodes in relation to planting your spuds then??
Louise
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when the potatoes started swelling, they only work for about 6 weeks so, pick your time well,
we didn't do our earlies or second earlies and had very little slug damage
DONT BUY YOUR SEED FROM THE SHEDS! by telboy
Why?
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Ktlawson, I grew Desiree a couple of years ago and they were riddled with slug holes.
that's interesting - my desiree are the least slug affected on my plot. number of holes in total tends to zero. i did have almost all my stemster eaten though!
my earlies are nicola and my lates were arran victory this year - might grow a different late potato as wasn't 100% impressed.
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DONT BUY YOUR SEED FROM THE SHEDS! by telboy
What sheds Telboy, and as manicscousers says why
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Think he means the DIY "sheds" ie. Homebase, B&Q etc.
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MT,
Correct, that's how I suffered 'Ring RoT'.
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I got kestrel so lets see, other lotties on my site swear by them. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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MT,
Correct, that's how I suffered 'Ring RoT'.
Did you report this? - Ring Rot is a notifable disease and remains in the soil for many years
Phil
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Phil,
I am still pulling occasional spuds out of store which appear to have ring rot/brown rot?
I appreciate RR is notifiable but wanted to be sure. Having read Rhys' thread of last September, I am now wondering if the problem is Internal Heat Necrosis after all, as posted by Kepouros. This could be logical with the summer we had. I have not suffered from many problems in my long allotment past, and considering the drought conditions, my crop was pretty d**n good.
Having done a good 'google', I may now have been confused by the similar internal appearance of the above mentioned.
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It's unlikely to be ring rot but the list of local plant health offices (in England) is at http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/offices.pdf (http://www.defra.gov.uk/planth/offices.pdf)
As it's better to be safe than sorry, just give your local office a ring
Phil
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Phil,
Thanks for that.