My maincrop potatoes are dying early....

[SaraJH]

My maincrops have started dying off after only 13 weeks. I harvested some today and they were only new potato size. We have used them for mash and they were delicious but does anyone have any idea why they have started dying back so early?

I have 8 x 30l tubs of Sarpo Mira and Sarpo Axona, half have died and half look as though they have another 4-6 weeks left in them.

I'm flummoxed.

[spamvindaloo]

I think it's the inconsistent weather. Some of my Sarpo Mira are dying off too. Some look okay. And some others didn't start to grow for about two months, got a late start around June and now look like they'd like to start a jungle.

[Cadalot]

Mine shot up like nobodies business and now they are gradually on their way down and I still have some earlys that were a little late and seconds to harvest.

[Penellype]

My Sarpo Mira are dying down too. Its been a mostly lousy year for potatoes with late frosts, lots of wet then very dry then warm and humid.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Not a good year for spuds mine are below average.

But as always with GYO other stuff has done better than normal, my main crop onions have been very good as were peas.

[Greenleaves]

Have to agree with Potty, my cauliflowers, cabbages and onions have been great, spuds and carrots have been naff this year....always next year

[SaraJH]

Thanks all, my new potatoes were brilliant so I shall chalk this up to the weather. Fingers crossed that the pots that are still alive will give us some decent sized spuds. I was so looking forward to home grown chips and jackets!

[Shumba]

(Derby) My potatoes have done horrifically bad this year and pretty much all died early and were smallish but then the soil did back solid at one point and I couldn’t get water to penetrate the clay. I also have bugs eating all the spuds for me so nothing is gona store! The small patch I have growing in mostly compost in a sheltered spot are doing better but fell over at some point and have started dying down now after a small recovery. Nothing has really made any attempt to flower as it normally dose for me, so I’m guessing it’s a bad year for it. On a positive note, very little scab!

[ESBkevin]

I have struggled with potatoes this year, first earlies were nice but there wasn't many on each hulm. Second earlies slightly better and we're still harvesting them fresh each week. Main crop varieties died off about a fortnight ago, have started lifting them to store and they are a mixed bunch. I planted in soil amended with compost and added rotted woodchip/leafmould. They were watered a little in the driest times of growth but are nothing special, few if any 'baking spuds'.

Theres always next year!