Potato Problem

[sewer rat]

Hi folks
As some of you may be aware I have an unusual problem with my potatoes. I planted what I thought was 50kg of Lady Christl (first early) but it turns out that one of the sacks was incorrectly labelled - not that this knowledge is gonna help me any.
Anyway, I now have 25kg worth of Lady Christl mixed with 25kg of King Edward (maincrop).
The Lady Christl are ready to harvest but I have to check each plant first - time consuming but I can cope with that hassle. My problem comes with the King Eddies that remain, as they obviously will be in patches and single plants - how do you suggest I support them on a very exposed site ? Remember that there was 25kg of seed tubers planted so there will be a not insignificant number of plants remaining.

[Rachiered]

I'm quite new at this, but what about a series of canes about a foot either side of the plants, with a string running along the length of each side of the row. Then, tie string diagnally across, weaving in and out of the plants, tying them to the guide strings at each point. (sort of a cross hatch). This should give some support. This is what I have done with my broad beans, as they are in quite an exposed site, and we had some really strong wind here a few months ago. It would take quite a long time to do, but hopefully would be worth it.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Too late to do spacial awareness wotnot - what area are you talking about in total, Rat? Is Rachiered's cross hatch doofah practical?

Am I right to assume that you have a jumble of LC and KE, and you can identify the LC and dig up individually, then you are left with a mixed bomb site of the KE?

If that's right, can't you just walk along the rows heeling in the remaing Eddies to keep them safe for later harvest, or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

PS give spud supplier a slap - or make him do a useful job selectively digging the LC and heeling in the KE....

[piskieinboots]

I agree with Hazel that a supplier slap is needed here, it won't help with your flopping haulms but do it anyway - you owe it to your fellow gardeners

Is there a fast growing, strongish (in stem) green manure that you could grown in between the 'bomb craters'? If not, then I'd also give the cross hatching by Rachiered a go

[sewer rat]

Cheers for the ideas guys.
Unfortunately, the string idea is not really workable as the area affected by this problem is in the region of 500sq metres. And the fast growing green manure, although there probably is one would need to be hell of quick growing as I have 15,000 leeks to go in as soon as the potato beds are cleared.. I thinnk I'll wait and see what sort of spaces are produced after I lift all the Lady Christl and take it from there.
My supplier has been well and truly slapped, despite passing the buck to his supplier and also apportioning blame on me for not checking the seed tubers - fair comment as I just got the guy sitting on the planter to empty the bags so I never actually saw the tubers - but then, the sacks was still stitched and labelled when I received them so why should I have doubted the contents.

[Alice]

Do you think you need to support them Rat.
I.ve seen potatoes doing well with the shaws flat on their faces.
But I've no exprience of commercial growing.
I hope it all works out for you.

[sewer rat]

Do you think you need to support them Rat.
I.ve seen potatoes doing well with the shaws flat on their faces.
But I've no exprience of commercial growing.
I hope it all works out for you.

They might be okay Alice but King Eddies are quite a tall shaw, and my 5 acres is very very exposed.
It'll all work itself out - it always does - just means lots more additional work - that'll please the wife no end. She already complains about the hours I work !!