Potato planting

[Slant78]

Planning on planting a small area of potatoes. The field has been in grass for years. New to potatoes so looking some advice on the best way and time to go about it. I was going to spray it off before ploughing but would need to wait until things warm up a bit for that to work properly? Or is it better just ploughing early and forget about the spray?

Thanks

 

[Devil's advocate]

wireworm, don't

 

[jon9000]

If there earlies they should be ok for wire worm

 

[jon9000]

Wire worm least worst in the first year after grass

 

[Slant78]

Hadn't actually heard of wireworm before, are there any ways of controlling it?

 

[teslacoils]

Mocap? But I think you have missed the last date it can legally be sold.

 

[LH10]

Hadn't actually heard of wireworm before, are there any ways of controlling it?

How big is a ‘small area’? We have done a few trials on grassland some ploughed up after 20 years of grass. We missed a 12m pass when applying Mocap in a few different fields over different years and we never had wireworm in them but now mocap has gone that’s not an option for you.

 

[Lincs Lass]

The good awld days when Temic sorted eelworm and any other nematodes ,,

 

[Devil's advocate]

Hadn't actually heard of wireworm before, are there any ways of controlling it?

None that I'm aware of.

Seven years of white crops without any grass weeds in the stubbles. Even that is less effective now Deter is withdrawn.

Google wireworm but they do have a seven year life cycle.

One poster has made the point the 1st year is the best & there is some truth in that because the wire worm will feast on the decomposing turf. But I'd take advice from a suitable quallified person.

We have gone so far with pesticide withdrawl that my Agromist says we are looking at 1920 to 1930's methods. Perhaps a bare fallow??????? Any couch grass, wireworm really love the rhiszomes.

 

[Al R]

Unfortunately Dieldrin and Aldrin are long banned, wireworm and everything else would disappear for a seriously long time after them!

 

[Slant78]

So what about spraying the grass off and ploughing it what's the best way to go about it? I presume the earlier it's ploughed the better?

 

[Chae1]

When we let a grass field for tatties the farmer power harrowed grass before ploughing it. Don't know why.

Still paid over £400/acre so wouldn't worry about grass.

 

[ridger]

When we let a grass field for tatties the farmer power harrowed grass before ploughing it. Don't know why.

Still paid over £400/acre so wouldn't worry about grass.

Breaks it up a bit for bedtiller or destoner

 

[Mixedupfarmer]

When we let a grass field for tatties the farmer power harrowed grass before ploughing it. Don't know why.

Still paid over £400/acre so wouldn't worry about grass.

Is this for seed where wire worm is less of an issue?

 

[Chae1]

Is this for seed where wire worm is less of an issue?

No idea what he was growing them for.

 

[Exfarmer]

just don't do it! wireworm will bore a hole straight through the tubers and it is difficult to detect un til they are washed

 

[ridger]

just don't do it! wireworm will bore a hole straight through the tubers and it is difficult to detect un til they are washed

That's slugs I thought

 

[Exfarmer]

Wireworm do it to, although I used to grow 100 acres a year I got caught out in my garden

 

[Devil's advocate]

So what about spraying the grass off and ploughing it what's the best way to go about it? I presume the earlier it's ploughed the better?

Roundup when you can.

At this time of the year plough 14 days later at least.

Wireworm totally unaffected by ploughing.

Ploughing 4 times in one year plus some culivation was the Victorian way to deal with wireworm ie at least 12 months with no vegetation of any kind. But that would only reduce the population.

 

[Devil's advocate]

When we let a grass field for tatties the farmer power harrowed grass before ploughing it. Don't know why.

Still paid over £400/acre so wouldn't worry about grass.

How long had the land been down to grass, was there any couch grass (wicks).

Have you had 50 years experience growing potatoes?