when are my potatoes ready to harvest?

[Scottishnewbie]

i can never remember - is it when they flower or when the flowers and foliage have died back?

[rustylady]

Depends whether they are earlies, middle, or late cropping. Earlies take around 13 weeks from planting.

[nicolejane]

Harvesting your spuds

Hi
It is when the flowers have died and the foliage drops:

[Scottishnewbie]

the ones i fancy having for tea are earlies (epicure) and i planted them on 4th april

[rustylady]

the ones i fancy having for tea are earlies (epicure) and i planted them on 4th april

Dig one root up and see what you've got. Should be ready. Flowers are not really a good guide, and the foliage dying off only really applies to maincrop potatoes.

[gojiberry]

None of my potatoes get to the stage of the tops dying off, but then I don't plant main crop due to blight. It is usually a case of digging a root and if there is a reasonable amount of spuds then the row is dug as required. I had spuds in bags to start the season off but have started on the lottie ones last week so will continue to harvest as require till the blight hits then all will be harvested immediately.

Ian

[solway cropper]

newbie, Epicure are a lovely earthy new potato and I harvested mine when they were small to get the full flavour. Just stick your hands in the soil and see what's there.

[Scottishnewbie]

i did and we had them for tea last night, along with home grown cabbage, peas and...wait for it.........our own pork sausages! A meal fit for a king!!!!!

[chris]

None of my potatoes get to the stage of the tops dying off, but then I don't plant main crop due to blight. It is usually a case of digging a root and if there is a reasonable amount of spuds then the row is dug as required. I had spuds in bags to start the season off but have started on the lottie ones last week so will continue to harvest as require till the blight hits then all will be harvested immediately.

Ian

Do you get blight often, goji? I'm quite near you so erm eek

[Two_Sheds]

South Wales and S.West get it first Chris, being usually the warmest, wettest place of the country