help needed with potatoes

[hyacinth_1]

Last year I planted three different types of potatoes which I bought from a seedsman in Scotland.  I found that there were very few that grew to maturity. I have asked what happened to the seedmerchant and he told me I had eelworm.
I have just been looking at a site which helps with pests-this site says that the eggs are on the roots. Mine were on the potato like pinhead white holes (that's the only way I can describe them) Anybody had the same on their spuds and  are they definitely eelworm.  If they are can I grow anything in the soil veggies etc.,

the man who had the site had spuds all over the allotment none were any good - I took most of them out. I did have a load of veggies growing last year and the only thing that did not grow were the carrots. On the plot I put the potatoes there was only rhubarb growing?

Any help or suggestion would be good I only had the site a year gone October.







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[hyacinth_1]

[PurpleHeather]

It was very dry early on last year.

Our crop was smaller  than usual too

[Bugloss2009]

this site give advice on eelworm control, http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/factsheets/pc24.php

keep cultivating the plot, rotate, and try resistant or early potato varieties.

maybe it's no surprise you have a problem if the previous occupier has grown potatoes over the whole plot. Hopefully they will get less of a problem if you grow a range of crops and rotate like we're supposed to.

[cornykev]

If he's used the whole plot then it might be an idea to grow in bags or bins for a season
Rotate after that on a four year cycle
Are you sure it was eelworm as they affect the root
Did the white spots rub off as this is common in some spuds and nothing to worry about
A very dry spell in the summer and the tops being frosted didn't help with the size, some of mine were a lot smaller than previous years



;D ;D ;D

[hyacinth_1]

Thanks for replying all. What happened was I put the early ones in three different types - all that seemed to grow was long grass weeds,a few leaves came through so we left that part of the lottie and put loads of veg in the other part.  Anyway I also put in later spuds which nothing came through.  When my sons were looking for the new potatoes there were only about a dozen all in with the earlies and they did no look nice a bit scabby and with little holes in and like white pieces of thread (a bit like the measles) all covered in tiny pinheads. I didn't try to rub anyhing off them just put them in a bag and binned them.  There were no later potatoes came through at all.  the soil looks like it would blow away if there were a heavy wind -  ???like crumble on top of a pudding.
I was wondering if after manuring it later on if any vegetables would be safe to put in it.  I forgot when the first spuds started the green went yellow then disappeared.
I did have a good crop of other veggies away from that part of he allotment. ::)

[Tee Gee]

 Have read your query and have looked for clues and this is my thought on the matter;

all that seemed to grow was long grass weeds,

How much preparation did you do?

The weeds sound like couch!

all covered in tiny pinheads

like white pieces of thread

Couch shoots will penetrate potato tubers seeking moisture if the soil is too dry.

The threads could have been couch roots!

This seems to backed up with these statements;

the soil looks like it would blow away if there were a heavy wind

we left that part of the lottie

I also put in later spuds which nothing came through.

This statement suggests to me you did not prepare the soil for your potatoes;

I was wondering if after manuring it later on if any vegetables would be safe to put in it.

I always consider potatoes the first crop in my rotation plan i.e.

Year 1;Dig in plenty of humus material

Year 2; No muck add lime for brassicas

Year 3; No muck no lime

Year 4: back to year 1

So my conclusion based on what you have described is;

you prepared the rest of your plot but not your potato beds.

My guess is; you have heard/read that potatoes are a good crop for breaking up the soil and getting rid of weeds which they are but they do need some help and to me it appears you gave them none!

By the way this is only an opinion and not a reflection on your growing methods Tg

[martinburo]

Tee Gee could be right, but if you want to play it safe, don't grow potatoes, tomatoes or sunflowers next year (they're all nightshade family), or grow them in bags/pots. Grow Tagetes marigold where you want to grow potato in 2012, and possibly a combination of tagetes and potato in 2012. Any other vegetables should be fine.

[Pescador]

Martinburo, you are correct about not growing potatoes or tomatoes, they are both Solanacae, but sunflowers are Compositae, and totally unrelated.

[chriscross1966]

Alan Romans sell a seed for a plant that helps with eelworm control. It releases a smell that fools the eelworms into breaking dormancy but with no potatoes to feed on they die.... grow in tubs of imported soil for a few years (if you can get freemanure then spuds will happily grow in that too) and try and grow a few of these plants fopr a few years (dot them around I guess)...

chrisc

[hyacinth_1]

TG you are right we turned the soil then dug down a full spades depth and put in the potatoes.  We then went onto the other beds and turned over about 6 times all in total on three other beds.  We only put good bags of compost and chicken manure plus added blood and bone etc., All we did with the spuds was to throw chicken manure on the top of the soil hoping when it rained it would take it through the soil.  I had loads of plantlings over the months to come and I consentrated on the other 3 beds plus the leeks and did not think that potatoes would not grow.
Well it just shows my mother grew potatoes no bother years ago and I worked for a seed firm, so I thought that you put them in and leave them to grow.  It was the first thing I had done on the lottie (planting wise) so I thing I have just bunged them in as there was loads to do.

I thank you all for your help and being so considerate. I wish you all a very happy time over the holidays and Best Wishes for 2011.
Jude