When are Desiree spuds ready?

[Does the Cooking]

Put some Desiree - red spuds - in large black pplastic bag. As green leaves came I covered them up with soil till bag full. Now have leaves adn stems above ground. The spuds were classed as early should I lift them now or wait?

[Flummery]

Desiree are a main crop. They usually are reckoned to need about 16 - 18 weeks from planting. I only grow earlies myself but I would go by how the growth above the soil looks. If they are starting to wilt and dry up they are probably ready. If they are still going stong, leave them a few more weeks. As they are in a sack you could rummage below soil level and see what's doing.

[Does the Cooking]

They are not starting to wilt. Look healthy. One plant appears to be growing a tomatoe!

Will have a rummage later. Thanks

[Flummery]

If they're still doing well I'd leave them. The 'tomato' is a potato fruit. There have been several threads on them recently. Just don't eat it - they are seriously toxic. I think if you leave the plants another few weeks you'll get a bigger yield.

[Snadger]

If they're still doing well I'd leave them. The 'tomato' is a potato fruit. There have been several threads on them recently. Just don't eat it - they are seriously toxic. I think if you leave the plants another few weeks you'll get a bigger yield.

I agree, I have quite a few Desiree with fruit on at present but the foliage is still lush so they will be left in the ground until the foliage wilts. I think that because they are redskins they have a little bit of slug resistance so shouldn't come to much harm (famous last words) They seemed to flower very early this year, earlier than some of my earlies in fact

I'll try my Desiree in September!

[SarzWix]

The foliage on most of my Desiree is just starting to turn yellow, so I'm assuming they're nearly ready. But some plants, about 3 of them, are just flowering They were all planted at the same time, so I don't know why some are so far behind?! It's a mystery, gardening, sometimes

[Flummery]

As someone once (almost) said, it's a misery wrapped in an enema!

[di]

The foliage on most of my Desiree is just starting to turn yellow, so I'm assuming they're nearly ready. But some plants, about 3 of them, are just flowering They were all planted at the same time, so I don't know why some are so far behind?! It's a mystery, gardening, sometimes

Ours are the same & like you all planted at the same time!!They have been considerate though & it seems the ready ones are next in line to be dug up anyway!We've harvested a few,but for the time being harvesting when we need them.

[Demeter]

As someone once (almost) said, it's a misery wrapped in an enema!

I like that!

[Redic87]

Just harvested a few rows of my desiree they look fabulous, I have saved all the fruitin a container. Its my 1st season growing this pot and never seen them fruit. I wanted to know is there anything I can do with them? Could they be planted to produce next years pots? Can they be thrown on the compost heap?
Thank you

[Demeter]

Redic - hi and welcome to the vine!

Yes you can use your potato fruit to make seeds for more potato plants next year. There have been a few threads on here recently and if you use your search button you should find some. Quite a few people on this forum (possibly including me) will be giving it a go and Duronal already has.

Two notes of caution - one - the fruits are VERY POISONOUS by all accounts so should not be eaten - two - the potatoes you get may or may not resemble your parent plant, so it's a bit of a lucky dip. More for experiment and adventure than for "serious" potato growing...??

[Does the Cooking]

thanks for the advice folks. particulary concerning the potato fruit being poisonous - I never knew that. Thanks.

[stanhol]

oh no I`ve picked off all the flowers from my Desiree!!!!!! I would have loved to have had a go at this planting berry thing. Please let us know how you get on.

My desiree have mostly all blown over, its always windy here in Holland but this year has been a bumper windy summer, still i suppose at least it has dried everything nicely after the rains and staved off the blight! So i guess i just leave them untill the foliage dies down and harvest then!

Good luck everyone.

Sandra