These potatoes will be the death of me!

[nooby]

Hi all,

I am seeking some reassurance again. Firstly, I planted some earlies around the first week of April and they have open flowers. That would be about 8 weeks, should I wait a couple of weeks or for the flowers to drop off? And can I just harvest what I need and keep them in the ground? Do I need to cut the new tatties down if so? I assume they do not store well?

Secondly I planted my Maincrop a couple of weeks later (Maybe a bit earlier, I get impatient!). They had pretty big chits which one of my allotment neighbours tells me I should of probably rubbed off as they now have buds on... Not open... But surely it is too early for this? What do I do with these if they flower? Do I just let them die down? It just seems to be happening too fast for the maincrop?

Everyone told me this allotment game would be hard work but no one told me about the worry!

Thanking you all in advance!

[veggiechicken]

Stop worrying about how they're growing - 8 weeks is far too early for them to be ready. Anyway, they'll probably be blighted soon.


There, that'll give you some thing to worry about.

[Snoop Puss]

You might find the Growing Guides useful. There's one on potatoes, but there are quite a few others as well. Have a look here:
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/how-to-grow

With first earlies, people generally take what they want and leave the rest to grow on. You can furtle around in the soil with your hand to feel if there are potatoes worth taking. If so, you can remove a few individual potatoes and leave the rest of the plant to carry on doing its thing. Or you can dig up the whole plant if you're sure most of the potatoes are of a usable size.

What variety are you growing? Eight weeks isn't very long for first earlies. Most need a few weeks longer than this.

As for the flowers, you can remove them or leave them. Some people (me included) remove them so that the plant put its energy into the potatoes rather than the berries that will form when the flowers are finished (under no circumstances eat these berries).

As for your maincrops, you can remove the flower buds, as above. Maincrops take a lot longer than eight weeks. They'll be ready for lifting when the haulms start to die back. Meanwhile, leave them be (apart from earthing up, feeding and watering).

Keep an eye out for blight. If you're not sure what that is, there will be lots of information on the Web showing what it looks like. Your plot neighbours will also let you know. Plus, it's possible to sign up for blight warnings in your area. Ask for info on this current thread:
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...tch_96862.html

Edited to add: I see VC has summed up my post somewhat more succinctly.

[nooby]

Thanks for the replies... I know its too early at the moment, and wouldn't think of lifting for a few weeks. I was just a wee bit confused as to them flowering. I have never had flowers when growing them in pots I dont think? I am growing Aaran Pilots and Rocket as the earlies and Maris Pipers as maincrop.

I am fully aware of blight too... I am keeping a very watchful eye, trust me We have had 3 days full hutton here last few days.

Thank you both so much, I will whip the flowers off all of the plants. Makes perfect sense.

[Snoop Puss]

Some varieties of pots have flowers, some only a few flowers and others none at all. You can find out more information about potato characteristics here:
Variety Database - Home

[It never rains..it pours]

Here I dig down gently by hand and remove the larger spuds that are easy to get replace soil and water. If flowering you may have some earlies. Arron pilot I looked at after 9 weeks had spuds the size of bakers, but they were kept in greenhouse to start with. Should have looked when had first flower but thought too soon

[Baldy]

You'd have to eat a lot of them, but they could be:

[sherlockofsheff]

I planted around 10 varieties in 30 litre pots this year (fed up of slug damage and trying to earth up in raised bed on a slope).
The growing medium was 40% loam 40% manure and 20% coir & compost.
I chitted them,then planted in the pots in the greenhouse, putting them out submerged in the bed by 3".
This was 11 weeks ago. The Cara and Pink Fir Apple are starting to show flowers, but none of the first earlies are, although the top growth looks good.
Do you think I should try harvesting now or should I wait for the flowers to come (if they ever do?)

[Jungle Jane]

Not all varieties will flower if they’ve been in 11 weeks that’s long enough to have a little root down the side of the bag. I leave mine until the leaves start dying to make sure they’re big enough,sometimes they can be quite small depending on the weather.

[It never rains..it pours]

Here I gently dig down with fingers and see whats there. 11 weeks here planted outside are producing golfball, hens egg size. In pots they need watering well (easiest way is to tell is to try and lift one side of pot) mistake I made last year

[geepee]

I planted around 10 varieties in 30 litre pots this year (fed up of slug damage and trying to earth up in raised bed on a slope).
The growing medium was 40% loam 40% manure and 20% coir & compost.
I chitted them,then planted in the pots in the greenhouse, putting them out submerged in the bed by 3".
This was 11 weeks ago. The Cara and Pink Fir Apple are starting to show flowers, but none of the first earlies are, although the top growth looks good.
Do you think I should try harvesting now or should I wait for the flowers to come (if they ever do?)

I've grown 1st earlies,namely Rocket, Swift,Arron Pilot etc,.
This year I'm growing Accord, its the ONLY 1st early in my experience to show Full flower as now 8/9 weeks after planting ie 56/63 days growing.
I reckon there will be potatoes in another 10/14 days.
In previous years no variety has flowered but yielded harvestable tubers after 70/75 days.
Gp