[boot]

some of my spuds have got small holes in them and when i cut them open it looks like something has eaten it's way in. what is it and how can i get rid of it? i have been told it could be wire worm and there's nothing i can do. i have rotated the crop from one end of the allotment to the other.will lime do the trick? or planting my potato crop in bags and fresh compost every year and not in the ground untill the wire worm die off?
why have i never seen a wire worm if they only eat spuds? surely they should be big fat bas**** things.

[Val H]

More likely a slug! We've loads with small holes in them.

[peterjf]

sounds like you have wireworms or small slugs,

[Paul Plots]

Very small needle sized holes with further and greaer damage inside is quite likely to be wireworm.

I don't think adding lime to the soil would be the answer.... crop rotation helps.

There is a chemical that can be added to the ground some time before planting that is supposed to help.... not used it though.

Last year my spuds had a fair bit of wireworm damage. Changing the variety grown can reduce this a great deal.

If your land was previously covered in grass this may well be one reason why there is wireworm in the soil.

By lifting the crop a little earlier I found that I was able to limit the damage a great deal but I guess each year will differ according to the weather.

[DD.]

If it is wireworm, good soil preparation & cultivation is recommended. Here's a link:

http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/article.php?artid=455

Lime doesn't get a mention & alkaline soil can give you problems with scab.

[DD.]

I've merged your two threads as you posted exactly the same message in the GYO forum and the Cooking forum.

Could you bear in mind not to cross post please.

[Salmo]

DDs link is good. Mustard as a green manure might help.

Take a look at where your wireworms might come from and try to eliminate the source.

The click beetle lays its eggs on grass stems and the young wireworm goes in to the soil where it feeds on the grass roots. If you take these roots away the wireworms will feed on whatever is available i.e. your potatoes.

Turf dug in is the usual source of bad infestations but they can also come from grass paths, couch grass or come in manure if the farmer has allowed weeds to grow on his muck heap, which is usually the case.

Small wireworms can be difficult to spot. Sometimes half a centimetre long, yellow and slow moving. When full grown they are about 3cm. Type wireworm into Google images.

[Ivor Backache]

About 15% of main crop have been affected. No sign of wireworm. I did however pull an earthworm out a potato. He was head and shoulders  inside.

[DD.]

Probably got into a hole something else made.

[boot]

  thanks for the link from DD. also thanks for all the other tips from everyone. hopefully i should be able to keep the wireworm under control. happy digging.

[Paul Plots]

Would adding composted grass mowings add to the problem of wireworms?
Just a thought....as I have done just that for the last couple of years!   :blink:

[Salmo]

If there was grass growing on or adjacent to the compost heap it is just possible that wireworms were in the compost.