A sad story....

Mon Jul 19, 2010 4:54 pm

So....I went out to work in the garden yesterday. When I got to the potatoes I couldn't believe what I saw! Something had been digging them up! There were big holes and potatoes laying everywhere! The potatoes were all scratched up by the offending critter! I decided to dig up the rest to save them from certain destruction. I spent over 3 hours in the heat digging them up. After letting them dry I went to brush the dirt off them so I could store them. There were quite a few undamaged ones. Well I discovered as I cleaned them that there were little holes in all of them and tiny white bugs wriggling around! Ugh! I cannot even begin to explain how horrible I feel now! I just want to cry! :cry:

Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:42 pm

Wow!! That IS an extremely sad story!! So sorry...

Gardening is a continual challenge. There are lots of joys and rewards to it, but also frequent disappointments. I tried growing potatoes for the first time this year, just a big container of them. They got some kind of blight and died....

Not as sad as yours, because doesn't involve 3 hrs in hot sun trying to save them, but another eg that no matter how many years of experience you have (I've been a serious gardener nearly 20 yrs now), you still have frustrations and disappointments at times.

Next year is always going to be the perfect year in the garden!

Mon Jul 19, 2010 5:55 pm

Thanks! Though the potatoes are a total loss I still have lots of other veggies to come.

Whatever dug up the potatoes danced around in the green beans but they are holding their ground. Something ate most of the carrot greens but they are holding their own too. It's been a rough year for sure!
My tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash are happy so far!

Potatoes probably won't have a spot in the garden next year...but that just leaves room for something else!

Despite the disappointment I am still excited about my garden!

Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:16 pm

Your white worm-grubs are probably either Potato Tuberworm or Wireworm. :evil:

Wireworm can be especial bad if your garden is a recently converted sod to garden bed. You can help against wireworm be keeping the garden weeded. Grass is a wireworm attractant.

Potatoes, like many other crops are inexpensive to buy, but will always have a space in the garden.

Eric

Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:05 pm

Sorry to hear that. Did you get anything out of your potatoes?

I lost most of mine halfway through yet I still had a measly harvest we are still eating them. I planted more not so sure that right now might be too late for you.

Do you have a fence around them?

Like DDF said potatoes are cheap at the store but they can't match homegrown so I will also always have a place for them in my garden.

Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:56 pm

Kgall, my heart goes out to you. What a disappointment! Did you figure out what animal did the digging?

Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:41 pm

That is a really sad thing. I hope you find the offending critter! Sounds like there are some things that can't be grown easily in some places. Perhaps if you do try potatoes again, you can try growing them in a huge container. I'm trying this with a few of our vegetables.

Reminds me of my disappointment with radishes. I pulled one up, was excited, then noticed it was soft. It didn't take long to find out the inside was completely rotted out and maggots were squirming everywhere. Unfortunately this was a radish growing in a container...so even then, that idea may not work.

Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:42 am

I know the feeling. I suppose anyone who has gardened for a few years knows how the disappointments can come along. I just plan on a few every year. This is why I plant a good vareity of plants. Some years one thing will do excellent, next year it will fail. Every year is different. There are so many things that can effect your garden. Weather being a big one. Insects and critters to name a couple of others.

The bottom line is, plant in faith and hope. Do what you can to help things grow. It is my experience that I get a harvest every year. In the end its worth the ups and downs. Have a great garden.

Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:48 am

Soaking in salt or vinegar water sometimes draw out bugs in produce. I wonder if this will work in this situation.

Good luck with the rest of your garden. Hope you have abetter experience tomorrow! :bouncey:

Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:52 pm

Thanks everyone!

After a couple of days I feel better about the whole thing. What a sight I must have been! I think that the critter that dug up the potatoes was the neighbors new dog. It is a horrible little dog that barks all the time and has claws that would match the marks on my spuds. Oh well!

I am not sure about the bugs they are tiny white things that are so small and the potatoes look like someone stuck a bunch of straight pins into them. That part of the garden is the new part that we just added this year. I keep the garden weeded pretty well for the most part.

I am putting this all behind me! I will try potatoes in containers nest year. We ate the remaining ones last night and they were SO good! How could I not try that again?
:lol:

Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:35 pm

It is not too late to try again. Blight killed all my potatoes this year but I have not given up. I mixed a lot of baking soda in the soil now I need some seed potatoes. My pantry is the best place to find seed potatoes when they start to sprout we leave them for me to plant. I think I have enough potatoes for about 15 plants.