[Benny130]

Hi all. I've been eating my earlies for a couple of weeks but still have loads in the ground. Did way too many as usual. The plants are beginning to look ropey and I'm worried about any disease if I leave them in. Should I did the remains up and try to store them until I get around to eating them? Thanks in advance 

[greenjay]

if you cut the tops of they should be fine unless you have a lot of slugs or mice/voles.
do you want to plant anything else? if not no hurry imo

[steved]

I usually lift my earlies on a sunny day when the tops have died off and leave them in the sun all day before storing in supermarket trays in the dry garage.
Im usually still eating them in March, although im having to rub off the chits by this time.
I grow Charlotte, Lady Christl and Jazzy, they all store well.
 I find if I leave them in the ground the foxes dig them up and scatter them all over the allotment, each one with claw marks all over them

[sunshineband]

Our first earlies are now huge, and, like steved, I find if I allow the skins to dry off they store well enough for several months, in hessian sacks in the garage at home, where they can stay dark and cool (and frost free in the Winter)

I need the space to plant out leeks, so the potatoes will all be out by the end of this coming weekend. If I did leave them in, they get damaged by rats, which of I am keen to avoid!!

Oh, we have Lady Christl and Charlotte too, but have grown Jazzy as a maincrop

[Benny130]

Thanks for the replies. I have taken the tops off and see how we go!!

[harry]

I've dug all my earlies and have started on 2nd earlies. I grew arran pilot as first and nadine as 2nd. I have dryed and stored them in brown paper potatoe sacks. Every couple of weeks I go through one sack and throw any damaged spuds out. This worked last year and I was still eating them in march.