[rowlandwells]

for those of you that grow green manure i.ve bought some spring mix for sowing come next spring I read somewhere on site being  mentioned that mustard gets rid of wire worms I guess this is tilly mustard because we have a bit of worm damage problem on our potato crop on both plots

so if we sow green manure [tilly mustard]  in spring would this help next years potato crop  where we intend to plant  on that ground  after digging the mustard for the following years potato crop  or would you suggest any other thing to use to get rid of wire worms

[sunshineband]

Having inherited a plot full of wireworm, I can say that the most efficient way of dealing with them is to plant out large pieces of raw potato on the end of sticks (so you can find them again) about six inches deep, all in  arrow about a foot apart, and then dig them up carefully once a week, removing any wireworms from the potato and the surrounding soil, move them over about a foot and replant. You can have several rows of course if you want to speed up the capture process.

Start now and you'll make a good dent in the population before mid October, when they start to move downwards for the winter

Easy peasy, cheap and totally organic 

Caliente Mustard may well repel them, and even have other benefits, but if it is only a way of dealing with wireworm you're after... then this does the job!!

[Salmo]

Sorry to say Landwells but you are confusing wireworms and eelworms.

Wireworms are the small yellow critters that you have the problem with. They are the lavae of click beetles. The eggs are laid on grass, the lavae my live for several years. Us ually the biggest problem is seen in the years after grass is dug up for cultivation.

Potato eelworms are nematodes and are what mustard will reduce. They are too small to be seen with the human eye and can build up in soil that has grown potatoes too often. The damage is seen as stunted plants with twisted roots. The roots will have lemon shaped cysts attached the size of pinheads full of eggs. When the next potato crop is planted the eggs are stimulated to hatch. Apparently when mustard is sown it also stimulates the eggs to hatch. With no potatoes present to live on the young eelworms die. Clever stuff!

[rowlandwells]

I profusely apologise salmo and all your correct its Eelworm not wireworm so brain now in gear as I understand Eelworm can  be controlled by green mustard as you pointed out in your replies so I'm going to grow mustard on the ground marked out for 2019 potato plot as a trial

 growing  a potato variety for 2018 that has resistance to Eelworm looks like cara as my choice for a late crop next season not sure what variety  to grow for my first earlies