No spuds! none, zilch....

[piskieinboots]

...well almost!

One of the chaps on lottie site today told me he was having to pull all his 1st early Rocket spuds cos there was nothing under them - he had a very small amount but they were not nice he says, as in 'watery'. I left him sadly pulling the lot out.

Haulms were clean and healthy looking. Any ideas what happened here?

[Waffler]

Oh! What a disappointment! I'd be heartbroken!

[gojiberry]

Dug one of my charlotte and it was exactly the same with not even half a dozen spuds the size of peas. Still may be a bit early for charlottes so will leave them for a few weeks yet.

Ian

[Two_Sheds]

mine are all pea-sized (9 weeks). I'll have another look at end of the month.

[zazen999]

Interesting...my rockets that went into rotavated lottie [with couch grass roots that are growing all around and being weeded every week] - I had a furtle tonight and the firt one I came across was a good inch diameter and firm as you like...they've only been in 8 weeks and had NO fertiliser/manure - just gone into lumpy clayey soil and had newspaper put around the tops to try and stop the weeds.

[baggyman]

might have been worth leaving them another month, if they looked healthy enough he had nothing to lose.
Sure he didn't get his varieties mixed up, main crop instead of earlies?

[PAULW]

The twelve week growing period for first earlies is meant to cover decent growing conditions, we have had a very cold spring and things are still not growing at their best in the first week in june, patience is the name of the game Mother Nature moves at her own pace and nothing happens unless she wants it to.
By the way I put my first early's in mid Feb after 12 weeks the had just broken through the ridges I would have looked pretty stupid if I dug the spuds hoping for a crop.

[rustylady]

It's been cold and wet, I wouldn't have pulled the plants up but waited for at least three weeks to see if things improved. I never dig a whole plant anyway (at least to start with). I have a "furtle" underneath and pick off any good sized spuds, then leave the rest to grow bigger.

[vegnut]

I too would never have pulled them all up. Just let them sit for a while longer, it wouldn't have done any harm, and i recon he would have come away with something for his troubles.

[Flummery]

I'd have left them another few weeks. But then, I wouldn't have grown Rocket!

[sewer rat]

I think he was probably trying to lift his spuds on the due date (8 - 10 weeks after planting). However, if potatoes are planted in cold wet ground, they won't grow - they will just go to sleep until the ground warms up - he should have had a bit more patience - and learn to garden in tune with Nature, as opposed to by the book - and he would have got his tatties.