"Charlie Pridham" wrote
Although I have not beaten the slugs I have at least worked out how to
live
with them on the surface, but this year we tried to grow some potatoes and
the little b*****s have been underground and eaten 50% (and made what's
left
almost impossible to clean up) any suggestions amongst you experienced veg
growers as to how to stop it next year?
I should add that we can not move the bed they are to grow in as its
specially raised, our own soil being too high in Arsenic to want to grow
root veg direct in the ground (probably what caused our problems in the
first place as the raised bit is mostly composted veg matter. So do we
give
up? or is there a solution (preferable not toxic!)
--
I know the feeling only too well Charlie, we have had as much as 90% thrown
away due to those little black ground slugs. This sort of damage is, to a
great extent, dependant on the variety of spud grown. With Kondor we ended
up with less undamaged spuds than we planted!!!

Which did you grow?

May I suggest the well known slug resistant Kestral, a second early white
with purple blotched skin.
This year we have also tried Romano an early maincrop red that is supposed
to be as good as Kestral at avoiding slugs, it isn't, but it's not bad. Bank
them up well.
Also trying Golden Wonder but early signs aren't good, the one I dug up
yesterday had only small spuds that had all been ruined by Woodlice,
thousands of them! I can't type what I said, ladies present.

--
Regards
Bob
in Runnymede, 17miles west of London, UK