Me and my dads Potato competition! I'm losing, why?!

[Filipe410]

Hello,

So me and my dad thought we would have a little potato competition,
We planted the potatoes at the same time but mine were chitted properly but my dads one wasn't chitted properly (don't think he was bothered at the time).

His ones are a redish/pinkish potato and mine looked similar to the Russet potatoes.

Just went outside and had a check on them and had a dig around his and mine and mine haven't got any potatoes at all, but his ones have little 2inch potatoes already even after my plant started growing leafs out 1-2 weeks earlier.

Can anyone explain?
Could my plants be a main crop so would take it a while longer?

I live in London if that helps

[veggiechicken]

As you say, yours could be a maincrop while your Dad's is a First Early. When did you plant them?

[Filipe410]

As you say, yours could be a maincrop while your Dad's is a First Early. When did you plant them?

Planted roughly around late May/early June

Never had a problem growing them in the past 3 years, but maybe it's too early to tell?

[rustylady]

To make it a fair competition you should have both planted the same variety

[Filipe410]

To make it a fair competition you should have both planted the same variety

Silly mistake I know!

[Martin H]

The longer they are in the ground growing well, the bigger the crop they will make. So if the competition was about growing the most and not about first harvest, I reckon you're in good shape! Yours will be coming into their own when Dad's have all gone over.

Good luck!

[Bigmallly]

Agree, it sounds like you may have planted different types. They can be ready to harvest between 12 weeks & 20 weeks from planting depending if they are 1st, 2nd earlies or maincrop.

[zazen999]

Planted roughly around late May/early June

Never had a problem growing them in the past 3 years, but maybe it's too early to tell?

So, maybe 4 weeks then? They need much longer than that.