Spuds another disaster.

[Compo 10,328]

One of these days I will dig a root of potatoes and find undamaged spuds beneath the haulms. Dug my crop yesterday and discovered around 90% were either blighted or lost to slug damage. Usually it is around 75% so this year it is even worse than usual.

I don't understand why I have so many slugs. Just up the road at John O'Groats and down the way at Dunbeath, they can leave their spuds in the ground and dig them as they are needed. I have never seen so many of these little barstewards in 50yrs of gardening as I have here. Nothing seems to curb their numbers. Tried traps, pellets, nematodes and even copper bands, all to no avail. The big problem is that they are Keeled slugs - little stripey buggers that live underground. Yer cannae get at them.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Sorry to hear of your problems Compo.

I have had one of the best years for potatoes & am having to give sacks of them

Most of my other veg has been good except courgettes (total failure)

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

Don't moles eat slugs?

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

I feel your pain but growing in containers I mostly avoid slug damage.

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

I had about 100 plants rather a lot for containers

I have an allotment(300 + sq yards) to fill

[snapey 0]

A really bad year for spuds on my allotment. wife complaining that they boil away to nothing..... Why? What have I done wrong.

[poohbear 1,360]

Whole garden is like a lace tablecloth....slugs galore. Potatoes are riddled above and below ground.

[DJBrenton 738]

I created two ponds to encourage frogs and also made my allotment as hedgehog friendly as possible. Another trick is to lay polythene down between the rows then lift it every morning and you'll find slugs underneath. I used to do this alongside bean rows to protect young plants too. Digging the ground twice, a week apart before planting seed potatoes also brings slug eggs to the surface where they may be eaten by birds. If all else fails, try only growing early varieties or some of the Pentlands as they have good slug resistance.

Also, keel slugs DON'T live underground. They normally feed above ground (which is why they can be trapped under polythene) but are drawn underground by the potatoes. Heavy soil and overly wet soil encourages them so incorporating more organic matter to lighten the soil both makes it less attractive and provides alternative food to eating your seed potatoes.

[FLY2 10,109]

I used to put a small tray of beer out for the slugs every night, then throw the mornings contents on to the compost heap.

[DJBrenton 738]

The idea of throwing beer away offends me.

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

#5 I did 74 plants this year 12 dustbins, 4 plastic cold water storage tanks and 15 Morrison flower buckets for the extra earlies and so far its been my best year ever for spuds.

[Compo 10,328]

Here's a picture of a typical one of my spuds from this season. The damage is a combination of slugs and blight. I lost about 90% of my crop like this. It has been my worst EVER year:

[Bubblewrap 3,815]

#9
At least the slugs died happy

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

All that work, weeks of anticipation to get that ................................ real bummer.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

Slugs you say?? Bloody grasshoppers and crickets have been my gardening problem this year, as big as donkey's and with ferocious appetites!!