when to harvest first earlies?

[magz.mccarthy]

Hi,

I planted my first earlies ages ago and they are looking like very happy plants now. According to the number of weeks needed for first earlies, they should be ready this weekend. I reckon though I sowed them a bit early so they may not be big enough yet. How can you tell when they are ready?

They have been earthed up to around 6 inches and have grown up through that to around 6" height.

Margaret

[Flummery]

Scrabble around under them Magz. You will be able to feel if there are any decent sized potatoes. If you can't or they seem a bit small, you can carefully cover them up again. No waste!

[allaboutliverpool]

The flowers are a good sign, when they are fully out there will be a good meal.
You are better starting to dig early as they mature so quickly that you will have more than you need.

[magz.mccarthy]

Excellent! I'll have a little dig under the first one this weekend woohoo! I'll put up a picture if I find good ones.

[Flummery]

The flowers are a good sign, when they are fully out there will be a good meal.
You are better starting to dig early as they mature so quickly that you will have more than you need.

Not all varieties flower! The furtling underground is a dead cert.

[SlugLobber]

Thanks for that, Flum, I didn't realise that! I'm in the same situation as OP.

[Glutton4...]

Not all varieties flower! The furtling underground is a dead cert.

Really? I didn't know that either! Off for a furtle myself then...

[SlugLobber]

I had a jolly good furtling, but I only found tiny, tiny spuds. I didn't dig very deep. The pots are about 25 inches deep and I dug no more than 4 inches below. Accounting for earthing up, do I just need to go for it? I'm scared of damaging the roots! Now I know why it was so easy growing in compost bags- furtling was much easier in those!!!

[Flummery]

Really? I didn't know that either! Off for a furtle myself then...

I don't think furtling yourself is very nice! Furtle the spuds!

[Flummery]

I had a jolly good furtling, but I only found tiny, tiny spuds. I didn't dig very deep. The pots are about 25 inches deep and I dug no more than 4 inches below. Accounting for earthing up, do I just need to go for it? I'm scared of damaging the roots! Now I know why it was so easy growing in compost bags- furtling was much easier in those!!!

Now's the time for copious watering.

[magz.mccarthy]

Hi Slug Lobber,

When did you put your spuds down? I put mine in on the 28th Feb and won't have a chance to look till tomorrow morning. Darn this job thing.

Margaret

[shirlthegirl43]

If you are growing your spuds in buckets, carefully loosen the earth round the edges, and gently shoogle the whole lot till nearly all out of the bucket onto a large sheet of cardboard (or an empty compost bag).

You will be able to gently pick out the biggest spuds and then drop the rest back into the bucket to carry on growing.

[Keith2202]

Shoogle, nice term!

Do the spuds still need to be attached to roots to carry on growing or do they somehow carry on growing by themselves?

[Mi Jardín]

hmmm, I can't resist having a furtle now!

slight hijack: is it normal for the greenery to flop over? the first container I did has about 3 feet of greenery and its all hanging over the side. they are kept in a plastic greenhouse, maybe they're getting too warm?

[shirlthegirl43]

Shoogle, nice term!

Do the spuds still need to be attached to roots to carry on growing or do they somehow carry on growing by themselves?

If they come off the roots they won't grow any further. (well, they are the ones that come up next year as volunteers)

hmmm, I can't resist having a furtle now!

slight hijack: is it normal for the greenery to flop over? the first container I did has about 3 feet of greenery and its all hanging over the side. they are kept in a plastic greenhouse, maybe they're getting too warm?

I would put them outside now, put them back in at night till they get used to being out. They may be lacking water if they are in the greenhouse.