[queenb]

H,i HELP....,this is my first year of growing my own vegetables, so far so good I THINK ! , my potatoes are huge  and flowered .how will i know when they are ready to be harvested?

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

I'm going to move this across to the Grow Your Own forum; feel free to pop back to introduce yourself properly on the Welcome forum 

Need some more info before we can answer your questions:

1. what variety are the spuds? - or at the very least, do you know whether they are first early / second early / maincrop / salad type?
2. when were they planted?
3. do you mean that the foliage is huge (as opposed to the potatoes themselves)?
4. have you had a little rummage to see what size the potatoes are? (also called a 'furtle' )

[Dan78]

My foliage is huge this year too!!

Agreed with above.. have a little 'furtle' to see what you can find.. Mine are just starting to flower and had a lovely meal from 1 plant at the weekend!

[queenb]

hi, the potatoes are charlotte, i put them in march they have purple flowers on them , they are about metre tall

[Kajazy]

Incidentally - I've seen lots of (funny!) references to 'furtling' on this forum, but please could somebody clarify (also my first time of growing potatoes), where exactly do you furtle - just directly at the base of the plant, or further down into the ridge?

[daisy1990]

Hi start furtling about a foot away from the stem and gently tease the soil back and see what you find (working towards the plant until you find a root.)  If you see the roots with tiny potatoes on them then you are too soon, mound the soil back over and wait another week (dont leave them exposed to light or you will have green spuds).  The size of the potatoes depends on the type planted but also personal choice, I can never resist pulling as soon as I can reasonably boil the pickings.  This means I will have small potatoes and less weight per plant than if I had left them - but who cares really!

[bigben]

If yours have flowered then you might want to dig some up. Depends on how many you have planted. If you have just a few in a planter then have a furtle or feel around to see what size they are. If you have a load then just dig up one plant I suspect they will have produced something that can be eaten. Mine all have and I did not plant until April.

[queenb]

Thanks to everyone for there advice,  after reading your replies , me and my excited children  went straight to our veg plot and dug our first plant ! and wow!!! there they were... some perfect potatoes   and  we have just  eaten them for our dinner and they were delicious.. i will never be buying potatoes from a shop again.

[daisy1990]

excellent there is nothing nicer (grow some mint and make some mint sauce to go with them - which also tastes nothing like shop bought!)

[grosmont50]

TO FURTLE , have a FURTLE, go FURTLEING is not just for spuds its for life