Plants producing very few potatoes

[fpmie]

Hi guys...
Question from a newbie to veg gardening this year.

I've some 'Cara' and 'Sharpes Express' potatoes planted. Judging by the fact that the flowers have just about appeared on the earlies, I harvested my first (and second) ever bunch of potatoes...but I was a bit disappointed with the crop size.
The first plant produced 7 potatoes, and the 2nd only 6. The potatoes themselves are a decent size, (and taste lovely!) so I think its the right time to harvest them?
The potatoes all seem to be quite close to the surface, not really deep down in the soil, so I was wondering if I just didn't earth them up enough? Do potatoes produce only in the 'upper' soil, without going deep into the soil? Or do different varieties produce larger or smaller crops?
Or is there anything else I could have done wrong? Or am I just greedy...!?

Thanks in advance,
FP

[Cloud]

I've grown Epicure spuds for the second year.Last year I had loads of medium to small spuds.This year they have been harvested later and I only have a few but of a much larger size

[Flummery]

Make sure they've been in at least 12/13 weeks. I think the flowering thing really confuses people, I don't find it has much relevance to whether the spuds are ready. Earthing up well (or planting deeper) will certainly give you more spuds as you'll get more of the rootlet thingies that end in a potato (not too technical there am I - can't remember what they darned things are called!)

Also, a good lot of water in the last few weeks before the 12/13 week period is up will help. You need your diary out here!

[Cloud]

Yeah agree with you there flummery.Potatoes are in fact swollen roots.

[fpmie]

OK, thanks for that!
I'm pretty certain they've been in 12 weeks, can't remember exactly, but think it was the first week of April. So thats 12 weeks to this week I think? Maybe they just weren't deep enough, or I didn't earth up enough.

[Tam]

Flummery, you have got me thinking and I can't, but I do remember that the "bloom" of a potato is below the ground (and not the flower). However, I can't remember if it is all that grows below ground, or a specific part. I am sure you will be able to help.

[Two_Sheds]

12 weeks: too early, with this cold spring. Earthing up will def. improve the yield too. As will watering when the tubers are forming (no need otherwise). As Flum said, really.

[Cutecumber]

They key is to ignore the flowering and the growing time - get your hand in and check the size of the tubers.

There are no hard and fast rules, so don't be bound by them

[Skotch]

Hi guys...
Question from a newbie to veg gardening this year.

I've some 'Cara' and 'Sharpes Express' potatoes planted. Judging by the fact that the flowers have just about appeared on the earlies, I harvested my first (and second) ever bunch of potatoes...but I was a bit disappointed with the crop size.
The first plant produced 7 potatoes, and the 2nd only 6. The potatoes themselves are a decent size, (and taste lovely!) so I think its the right time to harvest them?
The potatoes all seem to be quite close to the surface, not really deep down in the soil, so I was wondering if I just didn't earth them up enough? Do potatoes produce only in the 'upper' soil, without going deep into the soil? Or do different varieties produce larger or smaller crops?
Or is there anything else I could have done wrong? Or am I just greedy...!?

Thanks in advance,
FP

I read somewhere else on this forum that potatoes will only grow up from the seed potato, so earthing up will definitely help with yield, as will planting the original seed deeply in the first place. Earthing up will help with further root (and therefore tuber) development. This is similar to planting a tomato deeply, below its first set of leaves to encourage stronger root growth, and, as they are both from the same genus, the theory apparently holds good.

HTH

Skotch

[fpmie]

Thanks a lot for the input guys! I've no-one around me to ask any of these sorts of questions, and books don't always have all the answers!

I think my timing is OK(?), given that there aren't any teeny-tiny tubers, just only a few good sized ones.

Definitely think maybe I didn't earth up enough. Skotch - thats very interesting about tubers only growing up from the seed potato, thats about consistant with where I've been finding the spuds. I didn't realise the earthing up was so critical to good yields, I presumed most of the spuds would still be in the 'main' soil. Planting deeper for next time I think!

Flummery - good point on the watering. The last week has been pretty wet, but up to that we had a pretty dry spell for 2-3 weeks. I probably didn't use the hose as much as I should...

Thanks again guys.
FP

[Kristen]

If they taste all right then start harvesting them! If you only have a few plants you will run out quickly, of course, but we start harvesting ours as soon as there is anything big enough to eat. My wife thinks some show gardener who only wanted to grow enormous fruit came up with the idea of waiting for the flowers to keep his wife away from his prized tubers!

[bridget mc laughlin]

I think that you should have planted them deeper and give them plenty of water

[quark1]

I've just been to my 'oracle' for this kind of thing - the T&M website!

According to their recommended growing table...

Cara is listed as a Late Maincrop and requires 20 weeks

Sharpes Express is a First Early requiring 10 weeks

I'm presuming that in both cases these are the minimum growing times recommended as there could be many factors such as growing conditions, wetness, blight etc which might dictate that the crop has to be lifted earlier than usual to save what is left in the case of blight. Perhaps in the case of underwatering/feeding - this could also lead to smaller spuds? As others have already suggested - depth might be a problem.

If you still have some in situ I'd leave them for a couple more weeks at least and see what you get then. Perhaps another 6 weeks for Cara?

Tip for next year - just jot down in a diary or calendar when you planted which seeds/varieties. When I enter my spuds I put the number of weeks in brackets following the what/when/quantity as an aide memoire!