potato earlies actually mean?

[ClayGarden]

I thought it was just when they were planted. But it seems the later they are planted the longer they take, which doesn't make sense. Do you actaully plant different potatos?

[zazen999]

Hi
It's the speed of the process; first earlier will be ready for harvest earlier than mains. usually the earlies are new potatoes, whilst the mains are left for longer and can go on to be bigger.

They are different types of potato; my spuds aren't going in until the lottie is rotavated [getting back on the case tomorrow now my little weekend away is over], so my earlies will start to be harvested later than alot of other people's but the mains usually catch up if it is a good summer.

Try googling early potatoes and maincrop potatoes and you can see the different varieties.

[Paulottie]

Earlies take about 12 weeks and are normally(for most varieties that flower) harvested just after flowering. They are new potatoes and are used young and fresh

Seconds. are similar but take 14 weeks. a follow on crop as you really can only eat so many spuds!

Mains on the other hand, are bigger, take 16 weeks and are left in the ground after the haulms have died back to allow the skins to set. This allows for storage long into the new year. They are 'Old 'potatoes.