Potatoes Ready - How and When?

[matt44]

Hey guys, I planted some potatoes on the 21st March and the next row 3 weeks after.

The later planted row has flowers yet the one I planted first doesn't.

How do I know when they are ready for eating??

And whats the best way to harvest them?

Matt

[shirlthegirl43]

Do you remember what type they are? It is worth having a broggle / furtle (basically a grope) under a plant to see what is there. Some varieties of potato don't flower so that is not always a good indication. If you lift a plant very carefully and don't break off the greenery, if the spuds are still small you can replant it all and let them grow on a bit more.

[matt44]

They were the Orla variety. Anyone grown these?

[shirlthegirl43]

If they are all the same variety I cannot explain why some are flowering and others aren't. I would guess that you would find some usable spuds under them though. Dig one up and see what you find and just use as you want them, they will continue to get bigger.

Ooh, yummy, gonna go see if I have any ready to eat - need some really fresh spuds!

[jamesp]

Hey guys, I planted some potatoes on the 21st March and the next row 3 weeks after.

The later planted row has flowers yet the one I planted first doesn't.

How do I know when they are ready for eating??

And whats the best way to harvest them?

Matt

Remove any flowers, as you want the energy to grow the tubers (potatoes) and this will re-direct more energy for doing just that.

With my spuds I stick my hand in the soil and remove the spuds and leave the plant there to carry on producing more spuds all year until the first frosts, you can dig them up if your careful and re-plant then, have found that works as well, it is even easier to do this if you grow them in a largish container or pot, or you can buy a potatoe barrel that has sliding side with openings where you can put your hand in and take out the spuds and leave the plant to grow, you can even just use a bin liner, put some holes in it at bottom, quarter fill it with compost, plant seed potatoes, keep earthing up till about 3/4 full and just tip out the spuds when ready.

I pick mine when the spuds are about the size of a grape, they are so tasty at that size, I grow Maris Piper variety as they are good for almost anything...ie roasting, mashing, boiled potatoe.

[gojiberry]

I messed up this year and forget to buy any first earlies. I planted charlotte (2nd earlies( on the 29Feb, I dug some a week or so ago and they were a bit small. I dug some today and got 12 decent sized new potatoes from one plant so it is full steam ahead with harvesting as required now.

Ian

[Dipzy]

Question, how long can you leave them in the earth. I am growing mine in potatoe growbags and the plants are huge and beginning to flower. Can I just leave them and eat as I want. If you have to pull them all out what is the best way of storing them so they don't go bad ?

Ta

Joy

[hooraynana]

Agree with James - spuds are delicious about the size of a grape - have just lifted some plants and robbed some small potatoes for tea - lovely !!
didn't know about knocking the flowers off - will have to go deadheading tommorrow
oh and old compost bags are great for growing spuds in cos you can just roll em up as they grown to keep earthing them up

[Charlie C]

Thanks for the tip about taking the flowers off. It makes perfect sense for the plant to concentrate on the tubers and not the flowers but it's also a bit of a pity as they look so pretty as a mass of purples and whites.

[shirlthegirl43]

I just went and had a look-see with all this chat of home-grown spuds. Here are the Vales Emerald and Red Duke of York I found that were worth harvesting. the plants have been replaced in their pots for the rest of the tubers to mature more.

[zazen999]

Hmm
I put mine in the ground 8 weeks ago yesterday, and tonight we had potato salad with the first proper harvest; they are Rocket so fast growing - but I didn't expect them to be the size of an apple!!!

We've got 99 potato plants growing, about 8 different types so I'm hoping for a decent potato year - and we are spraying for blight every fortnight as I couldn't bear losing them after so much hard work.

[Demeter]

mmmm - you're making me feel hungry - ours aren't "due" for another 3 weeks or so I think, we only planted on 5-6 April. (Maris Peer)

Anyhow, I still don't actually believe there are any potatoes under all that greenery in my garden. I mean with peas and beans and tomatoes and things you can actually see them growing, even with carrots I can visualise yummy orange roots developing under the lovely feathery tops, and beetroot tops just scream of beetroot - but not potatoes.

I just can't believe in potatoes.
I think I need to see them before I really Believe...

[SMS6]

I've got a raised bed that have the majority of one variety in - they are Orla but I also had room for just 2 Vales Emeralds. The VE are really looking sick but the Orla are lush and green and just starting to flower.

My other half had a rummage in there a week or so ago but could feel nothing.

We have had a few new ones from the potato bags - Swift that I planted realy early but they didn't produce much probably because the frost nipped them off and Rocket that again I just rummaged a found some decent sized spuds leaving the rest to carry on

[hooraynana]

Demeter - i have the no faith problem with carrots - all that fluffy stuff looks great on top - but until i've pulled em up I am not convinced there will be carrots lol

[percy charlie]

our commual alootment had left some in that should have been pulled up in october and we pulled them and used them in march, they tasted great roasted on the sundays we had them, you can grow tatties all year round, i save some of my last crop and plant it up. if they ever sprout in the compost bin i dont use these ones though.