Disappointment...??

[SunnyU]

Hi all,

I've been down to the allotment earlier to start having a first look at my potatoes and check on my beans. We dug up two potato plants (main crop - Congos) and one plant had no potatoes at all (other than the tuber) and the other had four or five rather small potatoes on them. I've left the rest to give them a bit longer and hopefully grow some larger potatoes...

The beans have grown properly now but it looks like the plant is dying now and all the leaves and beans on it are sort of leathery....

I can't really hide my disappointment...

On a different note, the few small potatoes we did dig up were boiled and eaten with some butter and salt straight away and were lovely. Really nice dark purple colour too - I'll definately try them again next year.

Was is just a newbie mistake of putting them in too late and not giving them time to chit properly?

Sonja

[burnie]

as with most veg,things need growing time,better luck next year

[zazen999]

No idea on the spuds - when did they go in the ground?

Beans, harvest them and dry them out for winter soups. Lovely.

[Nicos]

I wouldn't worry too much about chitting to be honest
When did you plant them...was it really late ?
Is your soil really dry..maybe they needed more water - might not be too late to soak them if they've still got green leaves???

I think maybe your problem with the beans could also be lack of water???
mine are starting to suffer- the tiny ons are all rubbery...and I've got a grasshopper which has stripped most of the leaves!

[Alison]

If the potato growth above ground has died down then that's it for the year and what's in the ground is what you'll get. However if they're still looking green then the spuds are still growing, if it doesn't rain (ha ha!) then give them a bit of water and wait a week or so.

Sometimes it seems you don't get good crops, most of mine have been fab but for some reason one type have produced practically nothing. No idea why, healthy plants which were treated the same but suppose that's part of the fun!

[teakdesk]

...Really nice dark purple colour too - I'll definately try them again next year.

Was is just a newbie mistake of putting them in too late and not giving them time to chit properly?

Some varieties do not crop well. Here is another thread about purple potatoes http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oes_38487.html


Maincrop can need 22 weeks or more growing time... and lots of water.


Edit: just noticed the previous poster was Alison... the author of the thread I've linked to!! lol

[Snadger]

I think that different varieties of potato are suited to different soils. It's a case of experimenting and finding out which potato variety suits your soil and your taste.
Kestrel and PFA suit my soil. Rooster and Charlotte don't..........so I don't grow em anymore!

[SunnyU]

Thanks everyone.

They have just come up to 20 weeks which is why I thought I'd have a look. I've also got some Champions in and haven't lifted any of them yet so have no idea if they have done any better.

There is still a lot of green left on top though so I will just leave everything for another week or two and see what happens.

Sonja