dead head potatoes?

[lovebirdbirds]

Hi all,

We have only had our allotment for around 9 weeks and had the first batch of spuds in for around 8 weeks, they are already flowering and I was wondering whether we should nip the flowers off or leave them alone?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Flummery]

Some people do. I don't. It's up to you really.

[zazen999]

I do, but I am saving a few for Flummery's experiments!

[Mikey]

Haven't needed to this year the slugs have had them before there were three blooms to a plant.

[sewer rat]

I don't touch the flowers - they are Mama Nature's guide - when the flowers are over, the spuds are ready

[Alice]

I don't see any point in nipping the flowers off. Never seen a farmer do anything like that.

[vegnut]

The spuds will only put more energy in producing more flowers, so i leave them on. As sewer rat nicely put it, it's mama natures guide.

[tootles]

The old boys round here don't harvest theirs until the whole plant has died down.

[Paulottie]

The old boys round here don't harvest theirs until the whole plant has died down.

I think that is for storage spuds to let skin set etc. New pots are normally dug after 13 weeks or with most(not all) varieties when they have flowered.

[tootles]

Aah now see that's what I thought too, except that most of them flowered over a week ago............