Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the white
ones

thanks in advance

On 1 Oct, 21:33, "A Plumber" wrote:
Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the white
ones

thanks in advance

Slugs

"A Plumber" wrote
Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what
variety, but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the
white ones

thanks in advance
Probably ground slugs although it could be wire worm. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Click_beetle )
It is best to keep a written record of what you plant each year. Knowing the
names of these potatoes has now become important to you for your future
choice of seed potato. :-(
Romano is a red that has some slug resistance in my experience.
Setanta is supposed to have some slug resistance but has not proved that
with me this year.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

A Plumber wrote:
I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the white
ones

Are they slug holes? I think most of my damage this year was by slugs.
(You sometimes find wood lice in the holes, but I think they just go in once
the damage is already there, they don't cause it - although I await being
corrected)
If you could remember the variety names, you'd probably find hte white one
is resistant to whatever it is, and the red isn't - it's not so much the
colour of the potato as the types of resistance bred into the specific
variety.

wrote in message
...
A Plumber wrote:
I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what
variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the
white
ones

Are they slug holes? I think most of my damage this year was by slugs.
(You sometimes find wood lice in the holes, but I think they just go in
once
the damage is already there, they don't cause it - although I await being
corrected)
If you could remember the variety names, you'd probably find hte white one
is resistant to whatever it is, and the red isn't - it's not so much the
colour of the potato as the types of resistance bred into the specific
variety.

Wood lice will take up residence in many second- hand holes.
Those in strawberries -initial culprit blackbird, in my experience, are
another hole they frequent.
I agree they are not the initial culprit.

Regards
Pete
www.thecanalshop.com

On 1 Oct, 21:33, "A Plumber" wrote:
Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the white
ones

thanks in advance

There are slug resistant varieties. However IME they have the poorer
taste qualities. Fussy these slugs. Farmers put down slug pellet
sregularly from about a month after planting.

A Plumber wrote:
Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what variety,
but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the white
ones

Slugs.

--
Rusty

"Rusty Hinge" wrote in message
...
A Plumber wrote:
Hi all,

I have grown red and white potatoes this year, cannot remember what
variety, but on the red ones, though they reached a good size
all the large ones, had something? eaten into them leaving deep holes,
however the whites were untouched, nice sized and very clean.
Could anyone advise on what had attacked the red potatoes but not the
white ones

Slugs.

--
Rusty

Thanks for all the advice, but the holes are only small diameter, but they
seem to go along way in and ruin most of the potatoe