Time to admit defeat on potatoes?

[Andraste]

Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker but new poster

This is our 2nd year of allotmenteering on ground best described as clay in SE Wales. This year's spud patch had cabbage & kale in last year - we haven't improved the soil in this bit so did anticipate a low harvest.

We did wonder if the ground was still too wet/cold but went ahead & planted some chitted 1st & 2nd earlies on 09 April, leaving the rest until 15/16 April (although there wasn't much difference in the ground). We spotted the first tiny growth on 07 May. They grew a bit but although we tried to water well in the subsequent very dry spell they seemed to come to a standstill. We did also chuck a bit of multipurpose compost around them in about the last week of June in the hope that it would help them along. Since then we've had a good few weeks of rainy but warm weather.

Currently, they're not dead but still don't seem to be growing. If I've attached a pic correctly, it shows what they looked like on 16 July.

We don't really have anything but a few lettuce that could go into that patch of ground now as we'd anticipated it being full of lovely spuds for a while yet but the other-half wants to admit defeat, dig them up, manure the bed & cover it to stop the weeds . I'm wondering if it's worth giving them a bit more time?

Any views appreciated. x

[Jungle Jane]

Hello & welcome to the forum Time would say they’re ready but they don’t look ready? Did you use any fertiliser? Also when you put MPC down,did you cover any leaves or is this the total leaf? What I would do is water with tomato fertiliser high in potassium,it will help any potatoes in the soil grow bigger. The leaves look quite young still,usually when it’s time to harvest the leaves look tired but your leaves look young? If you do decide to harvest one of the plants check if there are tiny potatoes attached to roots underground,if there are then there is still time for them to grow bigger.

[Andraste]

Hi Jungle Jane,

Thank you for the welcome & taking the time to reply

We didn't use any fertiliser (we did on last years spuds so I really don't know why we didn't this year). I did use some comfrey water on them in the middle of June-ish but that's really all they've had. We might have covered a couple of leaves with the MPC but not many - the above ground showing is really as tiny as it looks.

I think can concede to the other half pulling one or maybe two plants to see what lies beneath at the weekend. I'll certainly follow your recommendation of giving them a dose of tomato feed - I'd never have thought of putting that on spuds!

[Snoop Puss]

Hello and welcome, Andraste.

Good luck with the potatoes. t is odd that the leaves have done so badly though. Maybe have a furtle about rather than dig them up? If you find tiddlers, do as Jane suggests and just leave them to get bigger.

Out of interest, how deep did you put your seed potatoes in?

[Bren In Pots]

Welcome to the vine Andraste

Like the others have said just have a furtle to check on their growth then hopefully with a feed your potatoes will pick up.

[Andraste]

Hi Snoop Puss,

Thanks for the welcome &good wishes for our shy potatoes

I think they went in at about 4-5 inches deep, no deeper than a trowel's spade down roughly - you've got me wondering if maybe we were a bit generous but I can definitely say they didn't go more than 6 inches down.

We had a lovely crop last year (although the weather was awesome & they were treated to some potato fertiliser on planting) so it's a bit disheartening.

[Andraste]

Thanks Bren In Pots

I'm feeling more positive now that you lovely people who know 'what's what' think there may still be hope (& a little smug about telling the other half that this year's spuds are possibly not a lost cause just yet).

[rary]

Welcome to the vine Andraste, as others have said the leaves look OK, also as said I would lift a plant to see how things look, I would also go down the middle between rows with a fork, to spike and loosen the soil, then hoe the ground regularly, this is to try and break up any cap that may have formed in the soil hopefully letting water reach the roots of the potatoes

[Andraste]

Hi Rary,

Thanks for the welcome & reassurance

I'd only thought about a top-cap on the soil, not thinking about there being anything further down. It seems so logical now that you've mentioned it!

We'll definitely follow your tip about forking between the rows before adding the tom feed.

[Nicos]

Also, being clay soil, it will have been colder when you planted them out compared to other soil types.
Maybe hold off for a few weeks next year….or cover with black plastic to warm it up a tad beforehand before planting out.

[Andraste]

Hi Nicos,

Wise words: we did debate at the time whether we should wait - every day's a school day on the plot

[rary]

Have you lifted any to check yet Andraste, you say every day's a school day, when I was at school some of us were terrified of the teacher, its much the same here, that's why I am always on my best behaviour

[Andraste]

Hi Rary,

We've not lifted yet as work & rain have kept us from the plot. Saturday's looking like our best bet.

I'm sure you're a very good student So is my other half, but probably because I keep a big stick at the plot for pointing whilst bossing him about I promise there's no physical abuse , he's just far better at the hard labour than I am

[rary]

I see from you first post that you have clay soil, though this is not connected to your potato problem, could I suggest that you try adding some dolomite lime to a small area of your plot, to see if it opens up the soil, dolomite adds calcium which helps break up clay, as I said not connected to the potato question, just a suggestion to try something that might make gardening a bit easier, as for the big stick don't let others know or they might want to borrow it, and not just for pointing

[Andraste]

Thanks for the Dolomite tip Rary - I'll look into that

We managed to dodge the showers & get to the plot on Saturday: we aerated with a fork between the spud rows & gave them a dose of tom feed as recommended along with some weeding. We didn't lift any or furtle: we're trying to extend the feeling of hope that they may still produce something