Potatoes - where to start? (Merged Thread)

happilass

Hi Tomsk,
thanks for that it is exactly what I needed to know, idiot proof info.!! Great stuff.
Happi

noonesperfect

Lord_Gardener wrote: »

If you planted at the end of Mar should be ready now - go on have another peek! Hopefully, they've been well watered over the months so that the tubers swell to a decent size!!

I've taken your advice and had another look - plenty for tonight's tea anyway - hopefully plenty more where they came from. Some are surprisingly large, yet there are still pearl sized ones in there .

My mouth is watering at the thought.......

mmmm they were yummy, ate far too many!

Emma79

i've been searching for the answer to my question on when the spuds will be ready to pull up... but can't find anywhere! Thought someone on here would know.

The stems have yellowed and I read somewhere that they should be cut down and the pots left for 10 days in the ground, but haven't seen any mention of that kind of process on here or anywhere else.

I have about 10 plants so would need to store them... in the ground or paper bag?

Thank you!!

Farway

If the top growth is yellowing as you say, dig up ONE plant to check size of spuds, if OK, dig the rest up

Choose a dry day and leave on the surface for about an hour [to let skins harden a bit], then store either in "clamps" [Google will provide] or in paper sacks in the dark, maybe a garage or frost free shed

The reason for not leaving them in the ground is to stop them becoming slug food during the autumn

If they are in pots, just move the pots to somewhere frost free & use as required

Emma79

Thanks Farway - all the info I need!

shadowdragon

Ok a few months back our stainless steel pedal bin (big 50litre one) knackered so I filled it withcompost and shoved some supermarket sprouted potatoes in it.

The stems and leaves are massive now and really green but are yet to flower what indication is there that they are ready to be harvested?

Also if I sprout some more old spuds and plant them out now will they manage to survive over winter (cold windy winters (tis grim oop north)).

thanks

Shadowdragon.

Barneysmom

Bumping this.
My potato plant (only one) died off so I pulled it out. It had flowered about 5 weeks ago, there were 6 spuds in the tub all about the size of a sprout each :cool:

I'd like to know if I can plant some now too?

Farway

Shadowdragon, unless desperate I would just leave them, the longer the better [larger crop] eventually the haulm will die back, then you can harvest or just leave them in the bin somewhere sheltered to harvest at your pleasure, like Christmas

Barneysmom - yes just about time, they need at least 12 weeks, but the weather & daylight hours are getting less, so shelter is important to give a long growing time

shadowdragon

Farway wrote: »

Shadowdragon, unless desperate I would just leave them, the longer the better [larger crop] eventually the haulm will die back, then you can harvest or just leave them in the bin somewhere sheltered to harvest at your pleasure, like Christmas time

is Haulm the leaves and stem? So if they look like they are dying I shouldnt worry? If so I think I will save them for xmas dinner.

Biggles

If they look like they're dying, it's normally time to cut them off and leave the spuds for a couple of weeks to harden, then dig them up. Once the haulm dies down, the spuds won't grow any more and there's a risk that pests will attack them (if they can get into your steel bin!).

Don't worry about them not having flowered, some types don't.