[rookie1]

I dug a few Maris Peer spuds tonight for tea, and on peeling them (they were a bit scabby), a very strong smell came off them. They looked ok, but smelt really strong - of what I don't know. One I cut in half was rotten inside (blight?) so I assume this is what is affecting them? I presume it would be unwise to eat any of them even if they looked ok .... Never seen (or smelt this before, so excuse me if this question sounds ridiculous) ... pic attached of the bad boy ...

[Yorkie]

I don't think it's blight.

My Hessayon book suggests either soft rot (if the flesh is soft and/or slimy inside) or hollow heart (though it doesn't mention any smell with this infection).

[Headgardener22]

Have slugs got in?

My spuds have been hit hard by keel slugs this year and it has let all sorts of infections in about half of the spuds are affected.

[rookie1]

Thanks both. Hopefully it's nothing too sinister. We've had problems with rust and mildew in various parts of the garden this year and I've been concerned that we may have something spreading! I wonder if the warm wet weather has had anything to do with all our issues. Should we be doing anything remedial at this stage?

[rookie1]

Sorry head gardener; didn't respond to your slug suggestion. Haven't see much evidence of slugs elsewhere, but earlier in the season some of the potatoes had holes in them - quite regular small holes. Would that be slugs?

[Headgardener22]

Sorry head gardener; didn't respond to your slug suggestion. Haven't see much evidence of slugs elsewhere, but earlier in the season some of the potatoes had holes in them - quite regular small holes. Would that be slugs?

Could well be. I was surprised how small the hole had to be for slugs to get in and how much damage they do.

[sunshineband]

That smell is rotting potato, and it does look like it is due to damage rather than disease ie those ole bad boy slugs. They set up home inside spuds sometimes and that looks like the result.

Hope not too many are affected, rookie

[rookie1]

Hi Sunshine ... thankfully this was the very tail end of the crop, although my spuds didn't do very well this year. Think I planted the seed pots a bit late and with the cold spring they took ages to get away. Yield was way down on last year. Some of the plants only produced one or two spuds (big 'uns, rather than small 'new' spuds ...)  But it's all experience. Only the second year I've ever grown anything, so very much at the start of the learning curve.

[chillimummy]

Had similiar prob with lot of my spuds. Some badly damaged but a lot with little holes in but still useable. Kept them seperate to ok ones

[sunshineband]

AS you say, chillimummy, using the damaged ones first work well (unless they are horribly hollow like the one photographed of course 

The small holes could be due to wireworm, but it does not mean you cannot use the potatoes.

Just good to have your own to eat