Shrews!!!! Potato eating jerks...

[Worth1]

Glad to hear they didn't get them all.

[Anthony_Toronto]

Actually it seems like they packed up and moved off, most of them at least. I haven't seen one for more than a week now, though some of my tomatoes continue to be nibbled. I did leave all of the nibbled potatoes and tomatoes out in the open, but I don't think they have touched them. I still plan to trap them before the winter comes, if I can...I don't want to lose any more of my hostas, lost some really nice ones. Whatever I trap I'll release a few miles away in a field. I did get about 30 pounds or so, and half of the plants (planted a few weeks later than the ones I pulled) are still lush. Lots of hollow heart...probably a problem of my new soil with improperly mixed triplemix or improperly composted manure being a little too fertile, but hopefully things will calm down next year, after I rototill in several cubic yards of peat. And although they are very tasty, next year I will be pulling up a lot more new potatoes, might even pack more plants in just to be able to harvest these tasty goodies.

[wmontanez]

Glad to hear you still enjoy some. Nothing beats taste of new potatoes. One single potato of Yukon ~24 onz? Wow that is impressive! If you get your hands on Kennebec try too...those are large as well and great for french fries~!

[Anthony_Toronto]

24 ounce, after being partially eaten, but it had hollow heart so would have been largely unusable even without the critter nibbling. And I don't know what diseases voles carry if any but I elected not to save any of the nibbled taters. I do want to try some other varieties next year, will add Kennebec to the list, though not sure what kind of selection I'll have up here!!

[Worth1]

What causes hollw heart?

Worth

[wmontanez]

More on hollow heart
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs197

My understanding is too rapid growth.You said you added PEAT to your soil. Could it be the cause?
I got one year the same idea but Peat and compost but it seems as I got too much N and my plants grew lush foliage not so many tubers.

[Anthony_Toronto]

Nope I have to add peat at the end of the season to have some organic material that lightens up the soil, and I don't think its very nutrient rich either. The 'triplemix' I ordered this year seemed to be mostly clay and manure, very heavy, and appears to be too nitrogen rich. Some of the potatoes were the size of my fist after about 4 or 5 weeks. Some worked but many are just too big, and I can tell when I pick them up that they are a little lighter than they should be, and are hollow inside

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by wmontanez

More on hollow heart
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs197

My understanding is too rapid growth.You said you added PEAT to your soil. Could it be the cause?
I got one year the same idea but Peat and compost but it seems as I got too much N and my plants grew lush foliage not so many tubers.

Thanks so it is plant stress basically.
Thanks.

Worth

[Anthony_Toronto]

I thought it was more due to excessive fertilization or conditions that lead to unusual growth. Whatever it is, I don't like it!

[snugglekitten]

I have those little buggers nestling away around my garden too, never knew they were so into potatoes. They never bothered my carrots yet (knock on wood).

Let us know how you take care of this issue, hope all goes well.

[Anthony_Toronto]

They have been gnawing on my squash and in some cases have eaten almost entire squash (buttercup/kobocha...one is completely gone, just a bit of shell remains). Eating my tomatoes. Ate ALL of my kale. I'm making one attempt with humane traps, if that doesn't work then snap traps or poison.

[snugglekitten]

Originally Posted by Anthony_Toronto

They have been gnawing on my squash and in some cases have eaten almost entire squash (buttercup/kobocha...one is completely gone, just a bit of shell remains). Eating my tomatoes. Ate ALL of my kale. I'm making one attempt with humane traps, if that doesn't work then snap traps or poison.

Wow, really sorry to hear it, Anthony.

For some reason I may be lucking out now - could be that the little guys are full from something else, but they haven't messed with my kale....that being said, my squashes were obliterated by beetles this year.

For some reason I liked the little guys, but if they were eating my garden up I would be agitated with em too.

[Anthony_Toronto]

The shrews didn't really bother me even though they ate all of the worms and made my composters useless. But these voles have caused too many problems, and after looking like they had calmed down for a week or so they seem to be back going strong and everywhere, I see them every time I go out in the garden. They are cute, but they are relentless...pulled up two purple potato plants yesterday after I saw some more vole holes at the base, most of the potatoes were ruined. Japanese beetles are also a complete nightmare, i've killed about 1,000 of them so far but they have pretty much defoliated some of my grape plants. I did see a chipmunk stealing a ripe cherry tomato today, but that didn't bother me

[snugglekitten]

Anthony, don't you have some netting you can put over your crops? this may be a start....

[Anthony_Toronto]

I will next year for the grapes, once they get pollenized, to protect against the beetles. Traps will be out at the end of this year and throughout next to deal with the voles. Now I just need to deal with my soil problems!!