Suddenly I'm concerned about potato blight...

I'm growing potatoes for the first time in my life. I have no earthly idea what I'm doing, which is mildly amusing considering I'm Irish, my parents own a garden centre and I have eaten what must be thousands of them in my lifetime.

So far, I have planted a handful of seed potatoes and they seem to be doing beautifully, but I'm not sure what to do next. Do I need to feed them, water them more or less than other veggies, worry about particular pests? What about that scourge; potato blight? It hasn't been raining much here for the last few weeks, so I'm guessing this isn't a real issue yet, but it might be... I think a consultation with my Garden Guru Dad is in order. Watch this space!

Elsewhere in my veggie patch everything seems to be coming along nicely. Mountain Man is trialing a very clever solution to the slug and snail problem. All of my veggies are in bags/belfast sinks/raised beds so are relatively easy to control and contain. About a week ago that very clever tall man in my life decided to put out a low pile of salt in a ring around all of the pots and bags, in the hope that it would slow down the slippery veggie munchers. I suspect he may also have been trying to reduce the amount of time I spend slug hunting before bed. I haven't been out there for the last few evenings and so far, there are no nibbles in my rocket, mustard or potatoes! We'll need to keep it topped up, but I'm feeling very optimistic. Fingers crossed it will continue to work.

I have had some amateur questions for my Garden Guru Dad, as I really am winging it with this veggie growing lark and don't have lots of time to devote to proper research. It does feel a little bit like cheating but by asking him hopefully I can save myself lots of grief. Here we go...maybe it will help someone else out there?

1. Do I need to worry about leggy seedlings? My beetroot are coming along nicely, if a bit slowly...but they are quite leggy. Does it matter? If so, what should I do?
2. What pests do I need to worry about and what can I do now to make sure the fruit of my labour doesn't get munched by outdoor critters?
3. Roughly how long will it take for my carrots and radishes to grow ready to eat roots? I can't see them, obviously, so how can I tell if they're ready?

I'll get back with the answers soon. Happy Easter.