Due to a severe bad back during the summer and early autumn I have TODAY harvested all of my potatoes and it was not a very pretty sight. I may have enough potatoes for one meal for one person. Every single tuber was full of holes and eaten away inside leaving just the skin. Inside the tubers I found short 1.5 - 2cm black slugs and also two different coloured worms. Any suggestions as to the best way to dispose of these infected tubers would be appreciated, I don't want to put them on the compost nor do I want to leave them on the ground.
Bad potato crop
Nov 08, 2009
6 Replies
Seriously, I'd burn them.
What kind of media were your potatoes growing in?
I think the mice got them if there is nothing left but the skins. Happened to me too.
As far as those lil bugs, they don't eat much and the worms just like your soil and maybe compost?
That is tough luck. We had a few of these, and some were eaten completely from the inside. What is a good deterrent?
Darrell Ulm
They were growing in a clay based soil
Mm, you probably need to add sand to give you better drainage and keep them a bit dryer.
Sounds like Keel slugs.
If the spuds are only slug damaged, no disease, you can safely compost them.
here are some slug tips:
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sand to clay is not a good solution in most cases. a fine bark works much better here in the PNW. More here:
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you are concerned about your soil, a 13$ good soil analysis would save a whole lot of guessing and unnecessary work to correct a problem you might not have.
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