Probably due to the very wet summer, I have lost half of my plot crop of potatoes to slug damage.
I have cut the halums back and hope to lift the rest in two weeks, but probably lose a lot more during this time.
Has anyone actually had good results from resistant varieties or when using Nemaslug - http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/bww2106/3
On the plus side, some of the tats lifted were very big.
I have noticed some varieties hardly touched by the %£$&£*@$
Sarpo varieties were one (in previous years, not harvested them yet). Early Rose wasn't slugged. Can't remember others at mo - Witchills? That is without the nemaslug.
Just looking through Alan Romans' booklet - on a scale of 1-9 with 1 being very yummy for slugs! and 9 being very resistant to slugs, I'll mention some of the varieties here, though not all the potatoes in the booklet have a slug score.
5: Ambo; Barna; Golden Wonder (estimated); Harmony; Hermes; Kestrel; Pentland Ivory; Pentland Squire; Sante; Victoria
6: King Edward; Red King Edward; Pentland Dell; Nicola; Romano; Saphire (estimated)
7: Markies (estimated)
8: Mayan Gold
The sarpos scored 5, though was an estimate based on sources available.
It might be that this is just a bad year - blight and slugs- perfect for them both?
Buy a large jar of the cheapest coffee you can find (Lidl or Aldi) and mix a couple of gallons at normal drinking strength, then soak the potato bed with it. It won`t hurt (or flavour) the potatoes, but it will drive out the slugs and keep them at bay for the next few weeks.
My Aaron pilot, Kestrel, and Desiree have all come up trumps with little to no slug or pest damage at all. We have been eating our spuds for over 2 months now and still have 2 more hessian sacks full. 1 of kestrel, and 1 of Desiree. Both big and beautiful.
As for my other three varieties.... I will tell you tomorrow after I have pulled them. ::)
Just lifted the last of our Earlies - Colleen - & was going to observe no slug damage so far.
Came to peel them............!!
These are my Verity & Cara. I pulled one plant of each yesterday. Will now be pulling all my late spuds this week for storage.