Harvesting potatos

[Soyabean]

I know this sounds like a really daft question but when exactly do I harvest my potatos? Planted first earlies, second earlies and maincrop; all doing well (although I can't remember which was which), just not sure when to harvest....

[zazen999]

All different types will have an average number of weeks until harvest.

We've been eating our second earlies for 2 weeks now. I haven't dug any up - I furtle under the soil, find enough potatoes for our meal, cover the soil back over the roots and walk away. Then, try it with a few different plants a few days later.
Try furtling under your plants and see what you can find.

[Soyabean]

Oooh really? I'll pop down now and have a quick rummage then......

[lettuceleaf]

On this topic and sorry if this has already been mentioned. Hope I'm posting in the right place, but my seedling potatoes have started sprouting recently (the most advance ones in a garden container). (I was very late planting.)

The container is now full of potato foliage and no room to back up the earth any more. Can someone advise when I can stop piling up the earth round the plants.

Also, I've been given some tomato plants which were outdoors. I have nowhere outdoors to put them atm so they are in my utility room. Will it be OK to grow them on indoors and put them out when they are too big to be indoors?

Also, do you give both potatoes and tomatoes a dose of Tomorite now - or wait until they are bigger? The tom. plants are about six inches tall.

[SMS6]

Potataoes will grow okay without further earthing up, all the earthing up really does is try to prevent any potatoes growing near the surface and getting daylight on them as this makes them green and I have been told poisinous. I don't feed potatoes so not sure about that question

Tomatoes - all the books etc say to feed them when first flowers set to fruit

[T-lady]

Hey lettuceleaf

I would (and I'm probably wrong - someone else can be a bit more accurate ...)

a) stop eathing up spuds if your container is filled - after all, you still need room to water them
b) I'd be happy to bring the tomatoes in and then take them out again later as long as your utility room gets lots of natural light
c) I start feeding tomorite (or the organic equivalent) when the first flowers have set on my tomatoes but I always forget to feed my spuds. I think tomorite is designed to help fruiting so you'd be better with a differnt fertiliser if they need feeding now (how long have they been in their compost). Try one of the seaweed ones for all round goodness.

[lettuceleaf]

Thanks for help SMS6. I had no idea why spuds need to be earthed up. Just do as I'm told.

T-lady - the seedling spuds (supposed to be earlies, I think) have been planted for about 4 weeks now. Those in the container have sprung up, but those in the soil are much slower. I did read somewhere to use Tomorite on spuds, but will try seaweed fertiliser. Thanks for tip.

[Soyabean]

Just got back from the lotment where I had a good rummage about under the potato's - found some lovely big red ones and some tiddley white ones! It was great; like a treasure hunt - you dont get the same thrill putting them into a bag in Sainburys!

[dragonaxe]

cool. I'll go and check under mine tonight! I've got some charlotte spuds growing for a while now, and the plants are now at least 18inches high.
wish me luck D

[SMS6]

We had our first new ones with a yummy salad tonight

[gojiberry]

The idea of earthing up is to get the plant to produce extra roots up the stem of the plant. Extra roots leads to extra potatoes. I grow mine in bottomless buckets and am able to earth up by the depth of the bucket and get some excellent results.

Ian

[lettuceleaf]

What a good idea, Gojiberry. Will try them in a bottomless bucket next time.

Any idea anyone whether I can still keep planting seed potatoes or is it too late?

Does anyone plant ordinary potatoes and have success?

[solway cropper]

by ordinary potatoes i guess you mean those you buy in a shop for your dinner. Yes, they'll grow, as will any part of a potato you put in the ground including peelings which is why it's not a good idea to put tattie peel on your compost heap. You end up next year with potatoes all over the garden. It's a bit late but you could plant some out now and you might end up with new potatoes at Christmas.