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Potato haulms being cut through
Posted: Sun May 20, 2007 7:42 pm
by guypettigrew
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
Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 8:57 pm
by oldherbaceous
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.
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 9:32 pm
by guypettigrew
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
potato haulms being cut through
Posted: Wed May 23, 2007 10:35 pm
by GIULIA
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.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 5:05 am
by alan refail
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
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 11:49 am
by guypettigrew
Thanks Alan, much appreciated.
Here's the potato picture!
Guy
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:12 pm
by Tigger
My sunflowers look just like this and it's the squirrels that have had them.
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 12:56 pm
by Granny
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
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 4:27 pm
by guypettigrew
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
Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 9:27 pm
by Tigger
Ever the optimist! You'll be lucky....