MMM not the best year....

  • 16 Replies
  • 3193 Views
*

Aidy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Born n bred Lancastrian living in tropical Blackpool
  • 5769
    • Aidy Neal Photography
MMM not the best year....
« on: September 11, 2018, 11:22 »
 :( Dug two rows (20ft row) of mains on Sunday..... GUTTED  :( :(

In two rows of spuds I have managed to half (yes HALF) fill a spud sack with Desiree, and then they smallish compared to normal!

Punk isn't dead...it's underground where it belongs. If it comes to the surface it's no longer punk...it's Green Day!

*

Plot 1 Problems

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Worcester
  • 3623
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2018, 11:31 »
Nearly everyone at our site had the same, half the normal crop of spuds, though most people's were of a good size.

*

Goosegirl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Caton, Lancaster.
  • 9059
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2018, 12:22 »
I'm sorry to hear that Aidy. It seems that quite a few people on here have had the same problem yet I've had really good yields from my Charlottes and Elfe. Lady Crystal I won't bother with again as they didn't give a good crop and got slugged quite quickly. I planted them in my raised beds then they just got the occasional sprinkling until the dry spell ended. They both had a good leaf canopy and showed no yellowing until they went over. It's very strange as we don't live too far apart so we would have had similar weather. Hmm.
I work very hard so don't expect me to think as well.

*

mumofstig

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Kent
  • 58030
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2018, 13:55 »
This morning I've dug a 6ft row of my Desirees, and yield was rubbish here as well. Only 4 good size potatoes and yes - ain't it always the way? - these are the ones that the fork went through  :(
So something with mash on for tea....

I've thrown away a lot of tiddlers this year, as well, so just know there'll be a lot of volunteers next year, from the ones I missed.

I think this has been my worst ever allotment year, yield-wise.

*

DHM

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Eastbourne, UK
  • 400
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2018, 16:59 »
Really disappointing... this happened to me one year when I planted in bags... tonnes of leafage but a piddling crop when turned out. I guess that's the rub in this game, some years it just doesn't go to plan.

I planted some Christmas potatoes last month and only 5 of 15 have grown at all. 2018 not a spud year for many.

*

jaydig

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Worcestershire
  • 1737
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2018, 18:12 »
This was the year that I decided not to bother growing main crop, and to only grow half of what I normally do of first and second earlies.  Result???  Same as everyone else - pathetic crop despite watering, with tiny spuds and very few of them.  Never mind, this is what makes gardening challenging.  Next year I'll grow what I usually do and be inundated with potatoes!
Having said that, I have two potato plants growing from under the compost daleks by the greenhouse, where I deposit all the kitchen waste, chicken poo and bedding that are about three feet tall and about four feet across.  If there's as big a crop underneath as there is foliage on top, I might be ok for a few spuds from there. Same thing happened last year with just one plant, and I had two huge washing up bowls full of potatoes.

*

greenjay

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: monmouthshire
  • 487
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2018, 20:02 »
have just finished the charlotte's good crop.
lifted the first desiree very scabby a couple of big ones and a lot of small ones.

*

AnneB

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Bradford, Yorkshire
  • 1893
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #7 on: September 12, 2018, 23:13 »
My spuds (Red Duke of York, Charlotte, Sarpo Una, Pentland Javelin, Kestrel, Nicola, Ambo) have all been down on yield, but all a good size and quality.  With one exception and that is Jazzy where yields were great too.

The best results after Jazzy were those grown in the ground rather than bags - Red Duke of York, Kestrel, Ambo. Both bags and those in beds were well watered.  Red Duke of York had a minor bit of slug damage.

Definitely buying Jazzy again next year.

 

*

solway cropper

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North west Cumbria
  • 1361
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #8 on: September 12, 2018, 23:24 »
I only grow earlies. Sharpes express were ok, Charlotte gave a good crop of lovely clean spuds, some of almost baker size! Colleen on the other hand were poor. Yield averaged about 1.5kg per seed but the slug damage was awful. At least half the crop was riddled. Got about half a dozen meals left then it's back to maincrops from the local farms. From what I've been reading prices are going to be much higher than previous years.

*

al78

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Horsham, West Sussex
  • 1338
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2018, 22:38 »
I did quite well with spuds this year, despite the bone dry weather (I did water them every week or two). A few did get holes in them but there were very few so badly damaged they had to be chucked. I now have three full sacks of potatoes which will get me through half the winter or until they start sprouting, I'm wondering if I should put the sacks just outside the patio door so they stay cool during winter, bringing them in if frost is forecast. I can't remember the varieties I grew but the maincrop was a red variety.

*

brokenglass

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland
  • 306
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2018, 18:19 »
Great yield from the Charlotte good yield from the Athlete despite the cold Spring and dry hot Summer
Do you really need al that lettuce/

*

Enfield Glen

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Enfield
  • 205
  • Borough champion 12 times
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #11 on: September 24, 2018, 09:12 »
Not been a great year but can't complain. Dug up quarter of a row of "Jelly" on Saturday.
spuds.png

*

JayG

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: South West Sheffield
  • 16723
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #12 on: September 24, 2018, 09:49 »
Only got room to grow earlies - about half my Lady Christl succumbed to what looked like blackleg sooner or later, but those that didn't produced a pretty good crop despite the drought.

The area they were growing in is now well trampled by me picking my (also good) crop of autumn raspberries (the joys of limited growing space  ::)) - I shall dig it over when they've finished and there will no doubt be lots of spuds I managed to miss first time round, hopefully some at least still edible.
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

One of the best things about being an orang-utan is the fact that you don't lose your good looks as you get older

*

New shoot

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Reading
  • 18386
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #13 on: September 24, 2018, 10:57 »
Most of my spuds have been pretty poor, but I still have Kifli growing away.  They sat and sulked over the summer, but perked up once the rain finally came. 

An exploratory dig of 1 plant revealed tubers looking promising.  They are the first crop as well, not small tubers reshooting  :)

*

Aidy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Born n bred Lancastrian living in tropical Blackpool
  • 5769
    • Aidy Neal Photography
Re: MMM not the best year....
« Reply #14 on: September 25, 2018, 22:01 »
Dug the last row of mains today and in total I just about filled 1 sack!

looks like we are eating the clamped new spuds instead, had some last night and they are in good shape.



 

Page created in 0.316 seconds with 52 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |