Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

At the back of my potato patch (under a tree and close to a fence),
the hulmes of my first earlies (Sharps Express) have suffered
substantial attack by some leaf eating creatures, almost completely
stripping them. My FIL - an octogenarian gardener - was unable to
advise, never having seen the phenomenon.

I note the presence of a fair number of snail shells in the 'bed'
behind the patch which I have left relatively fallow but also where I
have been 'generous' with Bayer pellets.

Any ideas?

Regards
JonH

Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Jun 30, 8:31*pm, wrote:
At the back of my potato patch (under a tree and close to a fence),
the hulmes of my first earlies (Sharps Express) have suffered
substantial attack by some leaf eating creatures, almost completely
stripping them. *My FIL - an octogenarian gardener - was unable to
advise, never having seen the phenomenon.

I note the presence of a fair number of snail shells in the 'bed'
behind the patch which I have left relatively fallow but also where I
have been 'generous' with Bayer pellets.

Any ideas?

Regards
JonH



Colorado beetle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_beetle

I would guess slugs. I've had potato leaf damage for the first time, but we have had 6 non-summers on the trot, and the slug populations have built up hugely. Damage has stopped after liberal application of pellets.

Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:10:13 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Jun 30, 8:31*pm, wrote:
At the back of my potato patch (under a tree and close to a fence),
the hulmes of my first earlies (Sharps Express) have suffered
substantial attack by some leaf eating creatures, almost completely
stripping them. *My FIL - an octogenarian gardener - was unable to
advise, never having seen the phenomenon.

I note the presence of a fair number of snail shells in the 'bed'
behind the patch which I have left relatively fallow but also where I
have been 'generous' with Bayer pellets.

Any ideas?

Regards
JonH



Colorado beetle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_beetle

If you find that it is a Colorado beetle catch it and notify the
police.

Steve

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Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:57:34 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme
wrote:

On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:10:13 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Jun 30, 8:31*pm, wrote:
At the back of my potato patch (under a tree and close to a fence),
the hulmes of my first earlies (Sharps Express) have suffered
substantial attack by some leaf eating creatures, almost completely
stripping them. *My FIL - an octogenarian gardener - was unable to
advise, never having seen the phenomenon.

I note the presence of a fair number of snail shells in the 'bed'
behind the patch which I have left relatively fallow but also where I
have been 'generous' with Bayer pellets.

Any ideas?

Regards
JonH



Colorado beetle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_beetle

If you find that it is a Colorado beetle catch it and notify the
police.

Steve

There's no evidence of anything that exotic, there are lots of
slug/snail trails and a number of the tubers that I have lifted have
been 'drilled'. I need the services of a small army of hedgehogs.

Regards
JonH

Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Jul 1, 11:30*am, wrote:
On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 10:57:34 +0100, Stephen Wolstenholme





wrote:
On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 22:10:13 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Jun 30, 8:31*pm, wrote:
At the back of my potato patch (under a tree and close to a fence),
the hulmes of my first earlies (Sharps Express) have suffered
substantial attack by some leaf eating creatures, almost completely
stripping them. *My FIL - an octogenarian gardener - was unable to
advise, never having seen the phenomenon.

I note the presence of a fair number of snail shells in the 'bed'
behind the patch which I have left relatively fallow but also where I
have been 'generous' with Bayer pellets.

Any ideas?

Regards
JonH

Colorado beetle?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_beetle

If you find that it is a Colorado beetle catch it and notify the
police.

Steve

There's no evidence of anything that exotic, there are lots of
slug/snail trails and a number of the tubers that I have lifted have
been 'drilled'. *I need the services of a small army of hedgehogs.

Regards
JonH- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Slugs don't usually eat the tops of potatos which are poisonous to
most things.
They will eat the tubers.
You sure it wasn't hail?

Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Sun, 1 Jul 2012 09:25:20 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

There's no evidence of anything that exotic, there are lots of
slug/snail trails and a number of the tubers that I have lifted have
been 'drilled'. *I need the services of a small army of hedgehogs.

Regards
JonH- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Slugs don't usually eat the tops of potatos which are poisonous to
most things.
They will eat the tubers.
You sure it wasn't hail?


I'm still convinced it's slugs. There were some slugs on my potatoes
in bags.
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

They don't usually but they are this year.

a) I have removed slugs from potato foliage
b) applying ferrous sulphate slug bait stopped the damage

Q: What/Who eats Potato foliage?
 

On Tue, 3 Jul 2012 17:27:31 +0000, kay
wrote:

harry;963234 Wrote:


Slugs don't usually eat the tops of potatos which are poisonous to
most things.


They don't usually but they are this year.

So why the change?
Is it because there are more slugs or less other stuff to eat?


a) I have removed slugs from potato foliage
b) applying ferrous sulphate slug bait stopped the damage
--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

I don't know what your weather is like, but we are having our 6th cold wet summer in a row (our last good summer was 2006). The wet summers mean the slugs have been building up their populations , and have now reached a level where things that previously weren't touched (eg rhubarb, potatoes, broad beans) are now being demolished.