Follow on crop following pathetic potato harvest

[polc1410]

New plot this year. Got it at end of March so was keen to get things in the ground and there was no compost or manure on the plot so I tried to grow spuds without any extra flavouring added to the soil. Bit of FBB added to make it look like I tried something.

First earlies started harvesting yesterday as they've yellowed. Only 8" tall plants, no flowers.

Absolutely pathetic crop. Maybe 4 tubers per plant and mostly about the size of the first part of your tumb.

I knew something was wrong because they have been so small leaf wise.

Later crops are looking far better. Some of them had a handful of manure chucked on.

I now have some rotted manure which I've added to the 8" spuds, suspect it makes no difference at this late stage but at least the manure will be dug in during harvest!

Can get plent of non-rotted stuff to add to it.

So now I'm wondering what I put in there next.

Do I:

(a) Add a load of manure probably fresh stuff and leave it on top to rot down.?
(b) Grow some green manure (which one? I'm lazy so easiest to clear?)
(c) Grow something else:
I have some spare of these to plant up anyway:
(i.) Purple Sprouting
(ii.) Sweet Potatoes
(iii.) Leeks

Presumably they'd all like a good dose of manure? But if the soil was that bad for spuds (which i find will grow in anything!) should I be looking for a new place for the above and concentrate on manuring? Should I add raw manure AND green it?

Arrrrgggh...?

[rustylady]

Back to square one. What exactly is your soil like? Sand, clay, somewhere in between?

What was the plot like when you took it on? Weedy?

[hollychap]

also which variety failed ? i planted 4 rows of earlies two were lady christl seeds from t&m and they have failed only a small amount of top growth the other two rows are fine

[polc1410]

Its not heavy clay. But not what I'd call sandy. I was quite impressed with it compared to any soil i've ever grown spuds in before it seemed more crumbly and lighter than I'm used to. As I move up the plot working on new beds some of it is very "composty" whereas the potatoes are more like a light clay I guess.

The plot was cultivated last year. Although I think without a huge amount of effort as the guy who did it was a neighbour of the guy who had the other half of the plot and was just helping him out. It had spuds in it.

Was covered in carpet by the previous encumbant which meant very little weeds when I turned it over. But with the carpet off the weeds are rampant! Nettles and chickweed mostly.

The failed ones are Pentland Javlin and Charlotte I think. The PJ I put 2 in a bag at the same time hoping they'd be ready a week earlier - they look OK leaf wize, but haven't harvested. Planted first weekend of April so been in ~ 14 weeks now so should be well ready.

Anya's are looking good. (well not so bad!!)

[rustylady]

Well that cancels out my first thought, which was that someone had used a residual weedkiller on your plot before you took it over.

My spuds have been a bit hit and miss this year. Very late going in due to the extended winter and not grown nearly as much foliage as usual.

What else do you have growing, and how is it doing?

I'm putting leeks in where I have lifted the first earlies.

I wouldn't put fresh manure anywhere on the plot - much better stacked to rot down first. Also you do need to check that the manure hasn't been contaminated with Aminopyralid.

[Mikey]

Is there any chance that the carpet used contained some dyes which have leached into the soil.

[arpoet]

I always follow early and second early tatties with winter cabbages and sprouts.

[Paulieb]

Another option would potential be to sow some quick cropping carrots, though they need to go in somewhere that has not recently been manured, which I'm not sure whether you have done or not yet.

Most things going in now are best started off in June or earlier (leeks), however there are other things that could work now, or you may be able to buy in some plants from a GC.

Things on my list to sow in spare spaces this month (and my empty potato tubs) are:
swedes,
turnips,
oriental greens like pak choi (and countless others),
Florence fennel,
chard,
carrots (will move to GH in oct).

[polc1410]

Is there any chance that the carpet used contained some dyes which have leached into the soil.

Cant rule it out. Would that retard growth rather than just poison me with some deadly carcinogen?
Absolutely hate the stuff. He had it all over the place.

I always follow early and second early tatties with winter cabbages and sprouts.

Are they expecting a well manured plot?

[polc1410]

Well that cancels out my first thought, which was that someone had used a residual weedkiller on your plot before you took it over.

Pretty sure its not - either that or it doesnt kill weeds!!

My spuds have been a bit hit and miss this year. Very late going in due to the extended winter and not grown nearly as much foliage as usual.

Whats your crop like?
Curiously the other new guy down the path a bit who put a ton of manure in his plot and I thought his spuds were looking impressive said tonight his crop is poor too.

What else do you have growing, and how is it doing?

Peas - I rearranged beds a bit but I think they would be in the same bed as the bad spuds would have been. They are looking good. Just fighting th birds for them
Squash - not looking as good as I'd have expected by this time (same bed as the peas
Carrots, Parsnips, Onions, in different bed looking good. Leeks in same bed as Parsnips - seen better!
Turnip & Swede looking OK. transplanted some to a gap in the strawberry bed and they are doing even better.
Have sq foot bedded a couple of metres and they are growing great but not real soil!

Pumpkins and doing fantastic but effectively they are growing in what was the bottom of an old compost bin so I'd expect them to have decent soil.

I'm putting leeks in where I have lifted the first earlies.

Seen that mentioned before. My leeks look really flimsy. Not sure moving them will do any good for them and if the soil is naff I think they may just die?

I wouldn't put fresh manure anywhere on the plot - much better stacked to rot down first. Also you do need to check that the manure hasn't been contaminated with Aminopyralid.

Is that because of the nitrogen thing? I was thinking it would be layed on thick Maybe 8 inches and just rot in situ.

My manure passes the Aminopyralid test (in fact I grew a bean in about 70% neat manure with 30% compost).

[Two_Sheds]

Planted first weekend of April so been in ~ 14 weeks now so should be well ready.

I don't know about you, but my plot is/was at least a month behind schedule, due to the extended winter. So my spuds have needed 14wks + a month. I dug up the volunteers y'day (always the first to crop) and got a bucket full, some marbles but mostly hen's egg size or bigger.

They need warmth all their lives, and plenty plenty of water in the latter stages, when they're bulking up the tubers

[Two_Sheds]

the other new guy down the path a bit who put a ton of manure in his plot

Manure isn't a miracle feed: it's more of a soil conditioner, adding structure and helping to absorb moisture.

comfrey has an NPK [roughly] ratio of 1.8-0.5-5.3. When we compare these nutrient ratios to that of animal manure we can see how far superior comfrey is:

Horse: 0.7 -0.3- 0.6
Chicken: 1.1-0.8-0.5
Rabbit: 2.4-1.4-0.6

Comfrey: How to Use ratio of Comfrey

[polc1410]

So - should I plant comfrey on the ground once I harvest?

Or should I plant it elsewhere and use it as feed?

I dont have any right now so should I get some other feed (I'm not set on being organic) and see if it added now will bring the crop up over the next 3 weeks or so?

Comfrey has a high potassium content. and relatively high nitrogen (or low phosphate depending which way you cut your maths...) ...I have read so many different things from wanting a 1:1:1 to 1:0:1 to 1:1:0 or 1:2:0. I can easy get growmore which is 1:1:1 and have FBB which is nor a huge amount different. Bonemeal looks more like 1:4:0...

In terms of being behind - they were probably 2 weeks later showing through the soil than I expected but then have never really come to much...

[rustylady]

Don't plant comfrey in your beds - you'll never get rid of it. You can plant it round the edges of your plot if you wish, it's permanent planting not green manure.

I think it's too late really for any fertiliser to help your spuds, although you could try a liquid feed. What they need in the few weeks before harvesting is plenty of water to swell the tubers.

[Two_Sheds]

plant it round the edges of your plot if you wish, it's permanent

So - comfrey ... should I plant it elsewhere and use it as feed?

Yep, it's permanent once it's planted. I have mine edging 3 sides of my lotty (the fourth is fenced, with bramble & ivy for the birds).

It's well worth growing a clump: it produces loads & loads of leaf which can be made into a top-quality liquid feed, or used as a mulch, or added to leafmould to give you a rich potting compost. Good stuff.