Broken Potato Stalks - WWFD

[maytreefrannie]

I have potatoes in a bucket with high stalks - higher than the height of the bucket. In the winds of the last few days, one stalk at least has keeled over and broken - what I've done is stand the bucket by a bin and stand the stalk up against the bin.

Should I break off the stalk, or will that stop the potatoes growing? Should I add more compost to earth up more and 'secure' the broken stalk? As it is, the earth/compost is rounded up above the bucket top.

I'd appreciate if anyone can tell me what if anything I should do with the spud stalk - my first thought when I saw it was,

What Would Flummery Do?

Hence the thread title - that would be, what would Flummery or any of the grapes do?

Thanks.

[lynda66]

mine werent in pots last year but loads of the stalks snapped i just broke em off, seems to me the more you earth up the more the stems grow

anyway i just stuck some stakes in and tied string between them to support the remaining stems

[tattieman]

I would cut the broken stems off and as mentioned in the previous post insert a cane to tie the shaws to and give them support. I will be using pea netting above all my potatoes to give them support.

[gojiberry]

I just leave them unless they start to rot. A broken stem can still supply roots with their needs, so unless the stem actually withers I would leave it.

Ian

Ian

[Flummery]

Flummery would earth up and try to fix the stalk if fixable - bit of tape. If not, cut it off cleanly.

[maytreefrannie]

Thanks so much, people - I'd actually thought that the broken stalk would prevent the spuds developing, even though the rest of the stalks are OK.

I've grown potatoes before but not for some years now, apart from my tried-out Christmas lot which were done for by frost.

Thanks again.