Spuds, how do you keep the slugs out?

My spuds did well this year despite lousy weather and blight. The only problem with them is that they are full of slug damage. When using them I can only use about half of the flesh, the chickens have the rest! I don’t dig much and sheet compost, could this be something to do with it? If I can’t find a solution I may give up growing them.

I think you have answered your own question Roitelet, under the sheet will be like a 5star hotel for slugs, damp, humid and a plentiful food source.

My spuds did well this year despite lousy weather and blight. The only problem with them is that they are full of slug damage. When using them I can only use about half of the flesh, the chickens have the rest! I don’t dig much and sheet compost, could this be something to do with it? If I can’t find a solution I may give up growing them.

Not sure it answers your q Roitelet but I was disappointed with this years yield so will be using 30ltr pots next year instead of raised beds

I'm also assuming the pots will have less slugs but who knows?

Due to space restrictions I've only ever grown potatoes in pots and never had any slug damage. There are some varieties which are marketed as slug resistant, e.g. Kestrel. I agree that the sheet composting is a likely culprit. Slug nematodes could be helpful if you can get them.

I find earlies and 2nd earlies are less damaged. This year, most earies harvested by 5th July and second earlies by 17th July. For maincrop, Carolus seem to suffer less than other varieties. I don't leave them in the ground any longer than needed. I usually plant a few Alouette and harmony maincrop which both suffer a lot more than the Carolus. These are all dug by early September at latest.

I don't grow many spuds, only first earlies, in pots which has both advantages and disadvantages.

No volunteers is a real advantage but having to keep them well watered is a bit of a pain.

Yeah the watering is a faff and pots tend to produce a lower yield. You can try what I've seen a few Youtubers do and put the pots on top of soil, then mound the soil around the base so the roots can get out of the holes and find more moisture.

Yeah the watering is a faff and pots tend to produce a lower yield. You can try what I've seen a few Youtubers do and put the pots on top of soil, then mound the soil around the base so the roots can get out of the holes and find more moisture.

That was my plan

The only time I have grown spuds without keel slug damage (apart from my potted plants of course) was when I grew them in depresions in soil filled with uncomposted hoss muck. It was given to us as muck but was basically sawdust soaked with hoss wee with a smigen of poo which must have been cleaned out of the stables. As well as holding the moisture the potatoes I harvested were clean s a whistle and slug free.

All I did was take a couple of trowel fulls of soil from each planting station, put a handful of 'muck' in and topped up in a small heap with muck.

I have grown Kestrel in the past which does have a degree of slug resiistance. What worries me is whats' in em tht the slugs don't like!

I grow Charlottes in boxes and buckets using a mix of Dalek compost, soil and leaf mould up to yet I've had no slug damage like others have said we you to keep up with the watering.