[Snowboar]

Hi all I’ve just dug over some of my plot and removed a load of couch grass etc I was hoping to plant potatoes in it but there’s a lot of wireworm what best way round it apart from planting in buckets thanks

[rowlandwells]

we had problems with wireworm and from the advise given on this site we sowed [green manure] mustard that did seem do the trick after a couple of sowings so every year on our crop rotation system  the next years plot is sowed with mustard and turned in before winter ready for planting our potato crop the following year

it mite be an idea to have a look at sow seeds site to get a bit more info hope this helps RW

[Snowboar]

I have already bought mustard from sow seed 😀👍 my only problem with that is I don’t think I have time to get it in before the potatoes

[rowlandwells]

personally  I don't think you will have time to sow mustard before you plant you potato crop that's something I wouldn't care to do given the time for sowing to turning in

[Snowboar]

Thanks Rowland for reply do ya reckon I should just go for it and plant them straight in ground  or try some other method like the one where you sow them on top and cover with straw

[Aunt Sally]

John has some good advice here:

https://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/potatoes/wireworm-potatoes-control/

[rowlandwells]

Hi Snowbor that's a good reply from John it gives you some idea's  how to overcome your problem with wireworm

personally I will be sticking to my original reply to use Mustard as a deterrent I was going for [BT Brown] Caliente Mustard 199 looking at the benefits using this Mustard however I went for [Moles seeds] Mustard brown I think it does the same as Caliente I hope

I think using Mustard is quite cost effective and as said it seems to do the job for us the only downside is its best sown and ploughed in before winter that's my opinion for what its worth anyway I hope you get the wireworm problem sorted one way or another

[Snowboar]

Cheers and thanks I think I might just keep giving it a dig to expose them for birds then plant them and see how I get on definitely Going to use the mustard after the crop bought a kilo of it

[Yorkie]

Just bear in mind, for crop rotation purposes, that mustard is a member of the brassica family.

[rowlandwells]

we always follow on from our potato crops with broad beans squashes onions and peas the potato setting is based on a 2 year cycle maybe 3 depending on the ground available on the other plot the only downside is the second plot is not that good for potatoes a much smaller size spud