Potato haulms being cut through

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guypettigrew
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Hello all

The haulms on my Arran Pilot potatoes are being cut through by something.

At first I thought the cats were snapping them off, but potato stalks are really pretty bendy.

About 50% of the 20 or so plants have now been affected. So far, it's just 1 or 2 stalks per plant, but the rate of damage seems to be accelerating.

Does anyone have any ideas, please?

Thanks.

Guy
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oldherbaceous
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Looks like you have beat us all on this one Guy.
I can't say i've ever heard of potato stems getting cut through. I was just wondering if it could be cutworms, these can cut through stems at ground level, but i haven't known them to do it to potatoes.
If it is these, if you scratch about in the soil near to where the haulms have been cut through you should find a brown looking caterpillar.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
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guypettigrew
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Hi all

Here's a link to a picture of another potato haulm which got sliced last night.

Someone must have an answer, surely?

BTW, how do I get pictures on here, please?

Thanks.

Guy

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m247/guypettigrew/P1010276.jpg
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GIULIA
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Looking at the photo I'd say they've been snapped off, possibly by an animal. Has there been any digging, as if by foxes? Foxes snapped the tops off a lot of my garlic rooting about for worms last year. Of course it's their breeding season so they might have thought your potato bed looked like a romantic place for a frolic!
Anyhow I'll bet the spuds recover if you give them a liquid feed, they're tough cookies.
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alan refail
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Guy

To get your picture into your post click IMG Code under the picture in Photobucket and it will Copy. Then simply Paste into your post.

Alan
Cred air o bob deg a glywi, a thi a gei rywfaint bach o wir (hen ddihareb Gymraeg)
Believe one tenth of what you hear, and you will get some little truth (old Welsh proverb)
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guypettigrew
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Thanks Alan, much appreciated.

Here's the potato picture!

Guy

Image
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Tigger
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My sunflowers look just like this and it's the squirrels that have had them. :evil:
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Granny
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Some of my sunflowers looked the same. I put it down to slugs as the squirrels couldn't get in the cage.
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Granny
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guypettigrew
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Ah, squirrels!!

We have some here, so perhaps it's them.

That's OK, if it is squirrels. I was worried it was some weird potato weevil or other pest which would hit all the plants.

If it's squirrels they'll probably give up soon.

Guy
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Tigger
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Ever the optimist! You'll be lucky....
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