Advice on several subjects needed please!

[peeejaay]

Hi All,
I have been growing veg half-heartedly for several years but now OH and I have decided to try to be as self-sufficient in veg as poss, so we now have 15 rods of allotment to toil over!
I have a couple of questions that I would appreciate some advice on...

1) We suffer BADLY with slugs, used "bio" pellets but rain just rinses them away, tried large quantities of coffee grounds, used traps (beer & grapefruit shells) but difficult over such large area....any tried and tested remedies?

2) Can potatoes be left in the ground over winter and dug as needed (obviously removing all tubers before next spring) or must they be dug and stored?

Any help would be very greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

PJ

[Shortie]

Welcome to the 'vine PJ

1) I've heard lots of people here talk about NemaSlug which seems to have a popular following. Not yet had too many problems with slugs so haven't tried them myself
2) Not idea... sorry, but I'd be interested to know too!

[Snadger]

Not a good idea leaving tatties in the ground if you suffer badly with slugs I would think! It would be like keel slug heaven!

[nick the grief]

Hi PJ, Welcome to the vine.

Answers to your questions

1. Not really, you can try Nemaslug but there aren't any real ways to get rid of them that are organicm but this is to try and grow varieties that are resistant or you make surethey are growing really well & healthy, the plants will cope with most things then. Also the more you cultivat the better things will get.
2. Not really as the slugs will murder them . It's not the big jobs you can see, it's the little buggers you can't Keel Slugs. You can lift them & store in a clamp (search the vine & it was discussed recently) but a cool, dry garage or shed is best.

[annie trip]

Any way you can put some chucks on there that would cure in (and any frogs also!!)

If you had loads of snails you could collect and eat like gordon did a while ago,i fancied it but could only find 1 or 2 not really a good meal.

[Spuds up]

I would agree with NTG about part 2 of your question.

My maincrop potatoes get attacked by the small slugs he refers to if there still in the ground in Sept. especially if it is damp. So I would expect you would struggle keeping the in the ground.

In the garage covered up was enough for my crop last year.

[jlottie]

Slugs & snails, permanent problem, nemetodes a good idea if you don't want to use pellets

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalo...roducts_id=570

Storing spuds, lift them on a dryish day and store in paper if you can - brown paper carriers if you can get your hands on them are ideal. (our local council sells paper recylcing bags for green waste which are brilliant) and somewhere cool and dark.

[Earthbabe]

Hi peeejaay and welcome to the Vine. As you can see a friendly, helpful lot if occasionally a little nuts.

We don't have much of a slug problem, at least this year is better than last, but did lose some of the maincrop tatties to keel slugs last year and a few this, so they do need to come out the ground. We use brown paper sacks (Scats 30p each) for ours and that works great. Currently in the kitchen as I can't pin Mr E down to tidying up the shed.

Due to the above have no experience of Nemaslug but it does seem to be very popular as well as being a more natural method of dealing with the problem.

[yoanbob]

hello
1) nemaslug is brill but you need to make sure the ground stays damp, and you cant start using till spring. we use the ducks and chooks at this time of year, cant use them when we've got edible plants in there, the animals can eat the slugs after nemaslug no problem.
2)potatoes in a clamp are o.k. we use the chook feed bags for storing,big heavy duty brown paper sacks.

our slugs are a nightmare too, tried everything before nemaslug.

[NOG]

1. make holders for the pellets out of Pop bottles. Cut the bottom off 2 inches above the bottom cut the top off 3inches from the top. Leave the top on. Now cut out 4 section on each they look like the top of a Castle tower put the pellets in and put the two bits togather so the open bits match and then put them out on the plot. Stops the pellets from getting wet or eaten by wildlife.

2. Plant Kestral and you won't have a problem with slugs. Leave the pots in till a week after the tops have die back then dig them up and let them driy then store in the cool dark place. arage or attic (if its insualted other wise it gets too hot.)

[snohare]

What's Kestral ? A companion plant ?

[Snadger]

I think Kestrel is probably a slug resistant potatoe?

[dexterdoglancashire]

Hi PJ and welcome to the Vine! as you can see we are a very friendly bunch with lots of useful advice and tips.
I suffered badly from slugs earlier on this year so did the whole thing at the same time - pellets, beer, grapefruit etc etc. and also the nightly "slug patrol" think it worked eventually! good luck DDL

[NOG]

Kestrel is very slug resistant. Since I planted them I have had no problems woith slugs....But they need a bit of time to settle once you dig them up for the first few months you anc only Roast them they then to fall apart if you boil them, but once they have been out the ground a month they boil ok.

[Matron]

I comiserate

Peejay, I'm afraid there is no easy answer to slugs. Slug pellets do have some effect, I try to pick up any dead slugs and snails so as to minimise risk to wild animals. I find a pair of chopsticks and a jamjar works!

As for your potatoes, no you can't leave them in the ground because of the aforementioned slugs, however you could try a clamp.. ie. dig up some new potatoes, put some dry compost in a biscuit tin with a lid, and bury the potatoes in the biscuit tin then bury it till Christmas. Just remember where you buried it.!