Potatoes falling all over the place?!

[greenfingers2014]

Hi,

I apologise if this has already been asked, i've searched the forum and could not find an answer!!!

I started some Charlotte and Maris Piper potatoes off back in February in grow bags (four in total). The follage has grown very tall...some about two foot. Last weekend I noticed that they were starting to flop over and some stems snapped. This weekend I have supported them with canes and have noticed that some leaves underneither have turned yellow. Some have also started to flower.

I read somewhere not to water them too much but I think i may have under watered them now! Am i too later to give them some feed?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Charlotte are a second early salad spud, they need about 18 weeks to mature. MP are a main crop and they will need about 22 weeks.

I don't know who told you not to water them to much but they have lead you astray, spuds are about 80% water and they need to be kept well watered to produce anything like a crop.

If they are in containers do not rely on rain once the haulm is up, it is probably the best natural umbrella there is. Until you gain experience the only way to tell if you are watering correctly is to push your hand down to where the tubers are forming, its no good the compost being wet on the surface and dry down below.

As to feeding your compost will have run out of nutrients after about 6 weeks (this is probably why the leaves are yellow) so really you should have started feeding then. However nothing ventured nothing gained give then a high potash feed soonest something like Tomorite works well but there are natural alternatives.