[Grubbypaws]

10 days ago I cut down the hulmes on my main crop potatoes but how long should I wait before digging them up so that they have skins and will store? 

One of my books says 10 days and another 2-4 weeks.

When is best or doesn’t it really matter too much?

[Salmo]

This time of the year they will be dying back naturally and the skins will probably be set anyway. So no need to wait any longer. (that is unless they are Sharpo and still growing like it was June.)

[greenjay]

I too have been raising my potatoes.
 I had to cut the top growth off due to blight.
 thought I had left it a bit late but they are fine.
 a little bit of slug damage starting suppose the ground is pretty wet compared to last September.
skins should be reasonable hardened after 2 weeks imo

[Grubbypaws]

Just checked the weather forecast and tomorrow looks good for a wee bit of potato harvesting 

[rowlandwells]

looks like this week will be dedicated to our potato harvest given that the weather's in a favour I made a potato box last year to hold about 5cwt that's hopefully mice and frost proof to stand in the greenhouse it proved quite successful keeping the spuds but then again it was a mild winter

the potatoes lasted us till June the only downside with growing red potatoes is cooking jacket potatoes but we can't have it all ways can we

because we grow quite a crop I use my tractor and scuffle to harvest there is a bit of damage but very little it would be the same if I hand dug as I usually manage to spear a few with the fork

anyway the wife's a good potato picker so it won't take us to long to harvest

[greenjay]

I always manage to stab a few.
hope the weather will be good next weekend to get the rest.
countryfile forecast suggest unsettled mid week!

[snowdrops]

Got my last row up today on the allotment(Cara's) & the pink fir up at my daughters.

[Grubbypaws]

Setanta all harvested 
Quite a few had been 'attacked' and wont store but they certainly will not go to waste! Gorgeous baked with plenty of butter for lunch and then fabulous roasted with beef and beets for our evening meal 

[I Love Spuds]

Pulled mine 2 weeks ago, as we ran out of earlies. They were planted late and lifted early but had the best crop we've have had in years. All very clean as well! 

I have a feeling it's because they were grown in virgin soil, along with chicken pellets. I have noticed this over the years, fresh soil producing good crops of spuds, anyone else? Or am I imagining it?

[greenjay]

first year of a garden does always seem to grow the best crops.

[miggs]

Was at the plot on Sunday, first time for 2 weeks due to bad weather and work stuff. Dug up 2 more rows of spuds and was a little disappointed. Although I am getting lots of spuds, none of them are of any great size. A few of them are bigger than your fist, the vast majority of them are just a bit bigger than a golf ball.
Will have to do some more reading to see what is going wrong.
Any advice would really appreciated.

[azubah]

My harvest has been very disappointing too. I don't know why. Some plants have produced well, but some very little.

[New shoot]

Was at the plot on Sunday, first time for 2 weeks due to bad weather and work stuff. Dug up 2 more rows of spuds and was a little disappointed. Although I am getting lots of spuds, none of them are of any great size. A few of them are bigger than your fist, the vast majority of them are just a bit bigger than a golf ball.
Will have to do some more reading to see what is going wrong.
Any advice would really appreciated.

My harvest has been very disappointing too. I don't know why. Some plants have produced well, but some very little.

What was the top growth like on your spuds?  Plants tend to prioritise, so in the first part of their growing season, they put everything into leafy growth.  Baby spuds form and then they switch round to serious tuber growth. 

If the tops looked a bit manky, they may not have had enough leaf to fuel the tuber growth.  That could be due to frost damage they didn't recover from well, or lack of water and nutrients during that first growing phase.

If the tops were OK, it could be a lack of water or nutrients later on in their growth cycle which has stunted the crop. 

My soil is clay, so mine withstood the dry early part of the summer, loved the rain later on and got a few feeds of chicken manure pellets to help them on their way.   

[miggs]

Was at the plot on Sunday, first time for 2 weeks due to bad weather and work stuff. Dug up 2 more rows of spuds and was a little disappointed. Although I am getting lots of spuds, none of them are of any great size. A few of them are bigger than your fist, the vast majority of them are just a bit bigger than a golf ball.
Will have to do some more reading to see what is going wrong.
Any advice would really appreciated.

My harvest has been very disappointing too. I don't know why. Some plants have produced well, but some very little.

What was the top growth like on your spuds?  Plants tend to prioritise, so in the first part of their growing season, they put everything into leafy growth.  Baby spuds form and then they switch round to serious tuber growth. 

If the tops looked a bit manky, they may not have had enough leaf to fuel the tuber growth.  That could be due to frost damage they didn't recover from well, or lack of water and nutrients during that first growing phase.

If the tops were OK, it could be a lack of water or nutrients later on in their growth cycle which has stunted the crop. 

My soil is clay, so mine withstood the dry early part of the summer, loved the rain later on and got a few feeds of chicken manure pellets to help them on their way.

Thanks for that. In no particular order. My soil at the end the spuds are planted is heavy/soil. It gets lighter the further into plot you go. When I planted the tubers each one got a good dose of Potato fertiliser. Top growth seemed ok to me. I suspect I might not have watered enough to be honest. I did plant them a bit late so I don't think frost got to them. I am going with possible lack of water. Must try harder next year.

[azubah]

I planted mine early and they all looked about the same till the haulms started to die down. Those that died first were very poor. Some are still green and are producing a huge crop. it's very puzzling.