when to harvest first earlies?

[Snadger]

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

*Don't even THINK about replying Snadge*

[JILLY JACKSON]

Oh,do charlottes flower?

[tattieman]

Oh,do charlottes flower?

Yes they have light violet flowers.

[JILLY JACKSON]

Thanks tattieman,not grown them before ,clueless!@D

[Lemon]

*Don't even THINK about replying Snadge*

I had to bit my tongue too! Especially as I'd read this quote too and by that time the naughty mind had already popped up!!!!

I had a jolly good furtling, but I only found tiny, tiny spuds.

sorry.....off to sit in corner now!

[glut]

how deep should the potatoes be if there are any? I began to have a bit of a 'furtle' in the ground directly at the base of the plants and found nothing near the surface. I then got scared and stopped incase I did any damage!

[Kirsty_84]

how deep should the potatoes be if there are any? I began to have a bit of a 'furtle' in the ground directly at the base of the plants and found nothing near the surface. I then got scared and stopped incase I did any damage!

Me too.
My Swifts have been growing like mad over the past few weeks and have grown out of their bag, they've been a bit battered by the wind so I thought I'd better have a look, but couldn't find anything. Mine have been in since early March.
I've also got Vale's Emerald and Epicure which are fast catching up to the Swift.
Does anyone know if each of these varieties flower?

[shirlthegirl43]

You will find the biggest spuds towards the bottom of the tub - hence my suggestion of carefully removing the whole lot from the pot onto cardboard or plastic (take care not to damage the stems)

[Kirsty_84]

You will find the biggest spuds towards the bottom of the tub - hence my suggestion of carefully removing the whole lot from the pot onto cardboard or plastic (take care not to damage the stems)

I broke one of the stems, that's why I stopped having a 'furtle' :s
I might try again mid-week.

[magz.mccarthy]

Hi,

Me and a mate dug up 1 plant on Saturday and laughed our head off when we saw the size of the potatoes - the biggest was around the size of a chick pea. So much for early earlies! I'll be leaving them at least 2 weeks before having another look if not 3.

Margaret

[Flummery]

My father in law reckons 14 weeks. I know some say 10 weeks for first earlies but I find I'd rather have a decent crop. What I secretly love is to leave a root or two of Charlotte till the last and make chips with the big ones. They make the most fabulous chips!

[mendacious dog]

I started my first earlies off in large flower buckets inside in Feb, then bunged them outside when they developed a crude form of sentience and tried to stage a coup to take over the conservatory. Yesterday I harvested the first of them and got enough to feed a family of four from one bucket.

Very nice they were too! Sadly, only two more buckets to go, but it was my first time with these and I was fairly impressed - most were actually the size of new potatoes you get from the shop!

Woof

[shirlthegirl43]

It isn't too late to put some more in buckets