[brianc]

Hi all
       I was on the plot today digging up main crop potatoes and I noticed some of the potatoes had small
       holes in them, along came the site know all we call him king Edward and he told me they were slug
       holes ? he told me he never gets slug damage because he puts slug pellets in the holes when he plants
       his seed potatoes . surely this can not be right ?.
       potatoes spread when they grow. to add to my confusion someone else told me the holes were caused
       by some sort of worm ?. Not all potatoes are affected and overall I am quite happy with the crop as it
       is my first year of growing anything. My beans have been very good.

[BabbyAnn]

Potatoes generally attract all sorts of soil pests - could be wireworm, eelworm or keel slugs (these are not like the ones you see on the soil surface but are black and live in the soil) or any other number of soil inhabitants which is why a crop rotation is a good idea to avoid a build up    Well done on your first year 

[mumofstig]

Some potatoes are more slug resistant than others, and they're the varieties I tend to grow.
and yes, some of us do put slug pellets in the planting holes, and again when we earth them up.

[Beetroot Queen]

Yep we pellet at planting and at earthing up. Didnt one year and lost huge amounts of spuds due to slugs  so in that way king Edward rules 

[qualitynotquantity]

Dug up my King Edwards today and the know it all King Edward was correct, lost about a third of my crop due to slug attack! Next year will be trying the pellets when planting and earthing up.

[al78]

Having found a lot of slug holes in my maincrop potatoes I will try the pellets tactic next year.

[rubberfrog]

Slugs damage was a real pain for me, losing approx half the crop to them.  Nothing worse than digging up the spuds and they look great only to find them covered in holes.  This year i grew my spuds in bags 3 varieties, swift, picaso and cara.  So far not a single spud has been damaged, also I do not have to use any slug pellets.

Not as cheap as putting straight into the ground but so rewarding after a quick wash and every one is as a potato should be.