[brokenglass]

Does anyone know of any method of reducing the slugs or at least the damage they cause in the potato crop?      Huge pots left in ground maybe too long with too many with resident slugs happily in residence eating away.     So disapointing to have such a large crop to then go through them cutting open the spuds to find the isnide a series of slug tunnels.     I know you can lift the spuds earlier and reduce losses but any other method?

[DD.]

Not cheap, but have a look at this:

http://www.nemaslug-slug-killer.com/

I don't know if they do any good, but I throw in a few slug pellets at planting time.

[brokenglass]

Thanks DD should have thought of that.     The problem I think is the temperature required before they can be used.   Do you know if it is OK to use them this late in the year or better to wait until next year?

[DD.]

I'd wait until next year.

Doing it now would be shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted and you'd still have to do it again next year.

[brokenglass]

Cheers DD that makes sense!

[Kleftiwallah]

There used to be a chemical on the market called Fertosan,  I used it with great effect but as I think it has been withdrawn, I'm looking for another you dilute and water into the ground.     Cheers,    Tony.

[lancashiregardeninggal]

I'm organic and never used pellets or anything.  When I moved here eight years ago it was all clay soil and slugs - after eight years of working the ground and encouraging birds into the garden - my slug and snail population is well down - and I make sure I regularly turn the ground over in autumn and winter - where there is nothing planted - it encourages the birds to pick about.

[mumofstig]

There used to be a chemical on the market called Fertosan,  I used it with great effect but as I think it has been withdrawn, I'm looking for another you dilute and water into the ground.     Cheers,    Tony.

You can still buy Scott's Liquid Slug Clear..

[hightide]

When I lived in Scotland grandad used to lift his maincrop, dry them for a few hours then stack them on a bed of straw into a pyramid. Laid more straw against the side and then covered the whole lot with earth and firmed the earth with a spade. It was called a potato clamp, he used to farm way up in the north where the weather was very wet and cold and you could not leave the potatoes in the ground. It worked for him as I was often sent to get a 'boiling' from the clamp, just had to make sure the clamp got covered over again.

[Gandan57]

I grew Rocket and Lady Christl potatoes this year. The Rockets have holes in just about every spud, the Lady Christls are the exact opposite, clean as a whistle.