Stupid potato questions

absfabs

I grow Rocket (first early), they never flower. Or have I been digging them up too early?

Am not very patient when waiting for new potatoes:o

I don't bother too much with earthing up, either, does it matter? (I would, if there was a frost forecast or if I see any spuds exosed at the surface)

new_mum_again

Know what you mean Mariauk me and the kids went crazy after watching grow your own veg on tv weve got:mushrooms x 4 trays, carrots x 2 bins, potatoes x 4 bins, lettace x 4 trays, raddish x 4 trays, and just brought a tom plant!!! At least its veg we're growing not burgers!!!:D (just redesigning the garden so everything is in pots this year!) Just off to ask my own stupid question about toms.:o

Mrs_Wossinge

Just found this thread - you guys are amusing (in a good way)! I'm a novice gardener too and have planted a zillion things. I *love* seeing seeds germinate. Now just trying to nurture my husband's interest in gardening and before you know it, we'll be Tom and Barbara Good.

Solomon_Broad

absfabs wrote: »

I grow Rocket (first early), they never flower. Or have I been digging them up too early?

Possibly, but if you are happy with the yield, don't worry.

absfabs wrote: »

I don't bother too much with earthing up, either, does it matter?

There are 2 reasons to earth up. One is to prevent green potatoes, which are poisonous (unless you cooks them, apparently), and the other is to increase the yield. The plant will put out extra tubers from the covered up stem. I've never bothered. If you grow through black plastic, you're covered.

RAS

Rocket/ DoY and Pentland javelin are all earlies. None of them do really well if you leave them long after flowering, the new tat taste goes and they start to disintegrate when boiled.

generally the idea is that you use them when they flower, but there is no harm in nicking the larger tats earlier. What is the point of having loads of newbies ready at the same time and some going over, when you could start eating earlier and get a similiar volume?

One of our local gardening presenters grows them in large pots, turns them out, nicks the biggest tats, puts them back and lets them grow on. The harvest in one go thing is not necessary.

madhouseof4

Right, a tat question form me now. When shoud 2nd earlies be harvested then (charlotte I think)?

pboae

I'm growing spuds in black bags, unrolling and earthing up as I go. They are mainly pentland javelin. Once they start to flower and are ready to harvest, should I cut a hole in the bottom of the bag and harvest from the bottom up, or dig down from the top, or do as RAS suggests and pull the whole lot out then replant them?

Solomon_Broad

madhouseof4, mid July onwards.

pboae, I'd go in from the side, and grab what was available, then sellotape the bag up again.

mariauk

Me again

I have 2 earlies planted Red duke of yorks and Epicure and second earlies of Saxon. Is there any way I could chit and replant any of them straight after harvest or if not how do you keep them as seed potatoes for next season?

I have also used loads of compost for the tats, What is the best way to use it after? My tats will be the most expensive in town the way they are using up compost :eek: Thanks :A

Maria

Morty_007

OK, I have a stupid spud question of my own now...sorry!!

I thought earthing up just meant covering the stem up to the first set of leaves. I hadn't even considered covering the leaves themselves! The reason I ask is that my spud greenery seems to have stopped growing in the last 3 weeks and I wonder if this is why?
Thanks for any answers...silly or not!

LMAO!