No first earlies

[indignatio]

This is my second year of trying to grow fruit and veg in the garden. I have a reasonable size plot and keep stealing a bit more lawn. However, my first earlies don't exist. I have slug nibbled stalks, it having pulled up two stems today, nothing.., zero... nada.

Tested a stem of main crop and have some babies there, so patience required.
But seriously, not one new potato. I know the weather hasn't been kind (SE) but surely - on the law of averages even- I should have one plant which succeeded
Posting for sympathy, empathy and advice

Please

Sympathies. Have you tried digging around though? I thought that (with my second earlies) and now have a bowlful of potatoes, most not attached to the weedy slug-eaten stalks.

I do potatoes in bags for this reason. Also if you have just converted from lawn chafer grubs eat the potatoes. It does get easier, keep practicing! You'll find what works for you.
I also use nematodes for slugs

Ours were in bags and it has been a very poor year for them. The green tops were like triffids, but when we turned them out we only got a small crop of quite small potatoes.
I hope the ones in the soil healed more.

This area wasn't lawn, so one less bug to worry about.
Had a good roootle around and no joy.
We tried bags last year and ended up with a set of broken ribs, (don't ask) so this was the safer option

My goodness!