Organic potatoes?

[wonderwoman]

I am a novice gardener, so apologies if I am a little green (if you'll forgive the pun!)... and really I am asking this for future reference as it's too late now, but I wondered, is there a way of stopping my potatoes being attacked by bugs - my husband thinks it's wireworm?

It leaves holes in the potatoes and some of them have been completely rotten in the middle. The smell has sometimes been so bad when I've cut them open, it's put me off eating potatoes for days!!

Is there an organic way of stopping this happening?

Any pointers would be really appreciated

[farmersboy]

Sounds like the little black slugs that live in the ground WW,i put slug pellets in the ground when planting,but it doesnt stop it altogether,and its not organic,the harder red type of potatoes ie Desire,are less likely to be attacked so badly,also dont leave them in the ground longer than necessary,more so if its very wet weather

[Rosefriend]

I have just been googling and they really are horrible things - especially the larvae..

Only seen two things that may possibly be of some help and as far as I can see there is no organic help that really works and even the chemical stuff doesn't do so very much as far as I can see.

However digging over the ground in Spring in the hope that the birds eat as many of them as possible. Also plant them in a place where you have not grown potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, or aubergines for the past two years, to prevent soil-borne diseases.
The other thing that I read was to choose a variety that can be harvested early as wireworms cause more and more damage from August onwards it seems.

Perhaps others have some ideas as well.

RF

[carolann]

I have lots of problem with the wireworm and this year a friend gave me some Sarpo seed potatoes and they have not been bothered at all, if its slugs I put human or animal hair around the plants which have been nibbled and that seems to stop the little blighters getting to them make sure you use about 4" around each plant or if your doing spuds in a container then put all around the top of the soil you can get lots of hair from the hairdressers.

[wonderwoman]

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Human hair? Wow! We do get slugs around - the cat even brought one in on her fur the other day! i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/shocked.gif Nice!

Hmmm! We probably did leave them in too long The ground was well dug over but we have been growing them in the same spot. They were Maris Pipers.

The smell (and look) of some of them was so horrible, I'm tempted not to grow any next year.... or maybe like you say, we should go for an early variety... and grow it in a different spot.