Flowering Potatoes

[Gardenwitch]

I havent grown my own tats yet but looking at a friends plot the other day I noticed the potatoes are not only in full flower (I think they're Red Desirees kind) BUT theres these lil green "tomato" looking clusters on them? What IS that all about? I thought they just flowered and grew tubers underground, not grow anything on the plant themselves above ground too! Can you help me to undertand so that I may grow my own with confidence next year? Thank you xx

[ckfe]

ckfe the flowers don't really mean that your potatoes are ready when they die but they are more of an indication that you could have tubers forming.

i'm probably gonna sound more than a bit thick here but do the tubers only start forming when the flowers appear? i've had a couple of good rummages in the soil but so far there is nothing at all!!! i've got a few flowers now though so does that mean tiny tubers will start forming?

[tattieman]

gardenwitch potatoes are from the same family as tomatoes and inside those little green pods are seeds. The pods are poisonous so don't eat them.
Ckfe potatoes usually produces tiny little spuds before ,during and after the flowers appear. There is no exact science with them but they are just an indication that the plant is thinking about doing something. They are really meaningless as many varieties produces crops and produce no flowers.

[Borisbump]

Furtled in Wilja (2nd Earlies) bag, nothing!

Desiree had flowered though so thanks to this thread it's had a pruning!

[gojiberry]

I can understand the reasoning behind removing the flowers on potatoes, and that it should improve the yield. However from experience of 40 years growing them every year I don't find it makes any difference to the yield, even if you let the plant form the little fruits. My best yield was last year when one potato produced 35 potatoes weighing in at 6.6lbs even with the flowers on the plant. Would be interesting to do a scientific project to find out the answer. I do find that peace of mind is also good when gardening so carry on removing the flowers if it makes you feel good and who knows you may even get a few extra spuds in the bargain.

Ian

[tattieman]

Gojiberry I was thinking about doing an experiment by removing some flowers and then leaving some but each plant produces different numbers of flowers. One thing I can tell you is the potatoes that grow the largest and most consistent for showing purposes are all varieties that produce no flowers. Maybe that is just luck but it is something i have really noticed this year when I am growing them at home. The thing is it doesn't cost anything to do and can improve yield size so it is worth a go.
I have always been told by top exhibition growers that it is essential to remove the flowers for ultimate performance.
Keep me informed gojiberry if you do a trial as it would be interesting.

[Dynamo]

I went round and took all the flowers and buds off my Maris Piper and Maris Peers today.

When harvesting, is it a good idea to wait until the plant starts to die back so that it lets the nourishment from the leaves go into the tubers and make them larger?

[SarzWix]

I've never taken the flowers off mine either Goji. I might go and take them off half the bed of Desiree, and leave the other half, see what happens

[ChrisG]

On my morning rounds I noticed what appeared to me to be a small tomato growing on my spuds????????

[marialittlebzz]

It's my first year growing potato, so thanks for all the info in this thread !
I have "Mimi", "Charlotte" and "Vivaldi" all in bags and looking great.... but no sign of spuds yet!

I planted them in the 1st of April, how many more weeks do you reckon I should have my first harvest ?
Also it seems that they will only start forming the spuds now for what I've read.... Am I right ?

thanks!!!

[Rixy]

Not very scientific I know buuuuut.....

To deflower (ooer missus) or not that was the question. Several people swore by it, several others said they never bothered as they'd never seen any proof it did any good. With that in mind I decided on a little experiment, 4 rows of potatoes, 8 to a row, two rows deflowered, 2 left with flowers on. Will keep a record of each sections weight of potatoes produced and see if there is any noticeable difference.

Will post results when finished.

[gojiberry]

For the last two years I have grown my potatoes in bottomless black buckets. The potatoes are still planted in the normal way, about 6" below the surface. This allows me to earth up within the buckets to a greater height then normal ridging and also allows me to plant the rows closer together. Using this method has definitely increased the yield per seed potato and also increased my ability to grow more potatoes per given area. I have no scientific facts but at a guess would put the yield up by about15/20% and in my 6' wide beds I can get 4 rows easily where as if I use traditional ridges I can only get 3 rows. This year I have used 80 buckets and will probably get enough potatoes to last till well after Xmas.

Ian

[Piglet rocks]

Dying potatoes

Hi Tattieman and others
Am hoping you can help me. I am completely new to the veg growing game. Have planted Charlotte and Rooster potatoes in potato growing bags. Was very excited at first as they grew very fast. But now the leaves and stalks have all been eaten and have turned yellow and completely died off. They have not shown any signs of flowering at all. Are they diseased, is it just bugs, will I still get potatoes?

All help gratefull received.

[shirlthegirl43]

Hi and welcome to the vine piglet rocks. How long ago did you plant your spuds? Chances are the vegetation has died off as the crop is ready. Charlotte don't usually flower if I remember right and I know nothing about Rooster. Have a furtle or broggle and see what you find.

[tattieman]

I would dig them up if the foliage has died off. The Charlotte could be ready but the Rooster might be a bit small.