Expert: Kindred Beisinger penname K D Elizabeth Beisinger - 9/10/2006

Question
I just dug up my red potatoes. They were very scabby and some were full of holes. It looked like something was eating them. While I was digging I found several centipeeds. Could they be the culpret for the holes? What about the scabs all over the potatoes?

Answer
Dear Brenda,
Yes, centipedes and grubs can be a real problem.  And where there are centipedes and grubs, there are other garden intruders that live on them.  Scabs are probably from remaining in the ground after maturation.  To avoid both of these problems next year, I recommend digging the potatoes as soon as the greens die out.  We used to leave them until fall, but that just seems to leave the potatoes open to parasites and other problems.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards,
Kindred
www.eingedi.us