[colin120]

Hi
My potatoes still have no flowers showing yet, the tubers have grown really high then fell over.

I used potatoes peeling with the eyes on and a few old potatoes with eyes, I planted them on the 14 March 2014 so its been over 100 days.

I have had lots of problem's with snails as the tubers have fallen, now the bottom layer that's on the ground are turning yellow.

As I have used peeling mainly I have no idea what kind of potatoes they area or when the tubers will flower

[mjpalin]

Hi Colin - not all potatoes flower, and as you aren't sure what variety they are, there is no guarantee they'll be ready at just 100 days. I would suggest a furtle in the ground to see what you find.

[4 Seasons]

If you planted these from peelings on the 14th March they were probably from a late main crop variety so they won't be ready for a while yet. Tubers are the potatoes under the ground and the parts you have described as 'fallen over' are called the haulms. It is quite natural for the haulms to fall over but they will still need more time if they are a main crop variety. Be patient. When the whole plant starts to die and turn yellow than it will be time to harvest whether they have flowered by then or not.

[solway cropper]

My potatoes rarely have flowers whatever the variety....the local bird population pecks out the flower buds!!

It's not a good idea to plant things like potato peelings/shop bought spuds as you have no idea if you are bringing disease into the plot/garden. Certified seed is not that expensive and at least gives you some guarantee that the spuds should be healthy.

[colin120]

Thank you all for your reply's, the reason I used potato peelings was my dad before he died always said he used peelings on his allotment down in Kent as a young man and they always tasted great and was better than using seeds.

Thanks again   

[DD.]

I would re-iterate solway cropper's comments about using certified seed potatoes. It is not without good reason these are cultivated. Considering the risks they are well worth it. You may get away with it for many years, but it only takes the one!

[GreyScales]

My swift haven't flowered yet, considering they are due to be harvested this month it is a tad concerning. The blue potatoes right next to them have been flowering for some time now.

[DD.]

We have said many times that not all varieties flower.

The British Potato Council database tells us that berries are absent on Swift.

http://www.varieties.potato.org.uk/display_description.php?variety_name=Swift

This infers that flowers are also absent, or drop off unnoticed before they open. It's worth having a furtle or digging a root.

[GreyScales]

Strange, I heard they do flower but they're small and easily missed. Stand corrected.

[Headgardener22]

Depending on how many plants you have growing, I would suggest you have a look around or dig up one plant to see what's there.

I always dig up one root of my potatoes before I should (because I'm too keen to get eating them). If there's nothing there, wait a couple of weeks and try again. Once there are tubers, they will quickly get large and, if you're like me, you'll have more spuds than you know what to do with.

[DD.]

Depending on how many plants you have growing, I would suggest you have a look around or dig up one plant to see what's there.

I believe that's what I said 3 up!

[Headgardener22]

Depending on how many plants you have growing, I would suggest you have a look around or dig up one plant to see what's there.

I believe that's what I said 3 up!

And I'm not allowed to agree with you?

[New shoot]

Depending on how many plants you have growing, I would suggest you have a look around or dig up one plant to see what's there.

I believe that's what I said 3 up!

And I'm not allowed to agree with you?

Your advice was sound Headgardener, but to be fair, you didn't refer to DD's earlier post or say you were agreeing with him.  I've read through the thread this morning and it did read as though you missed DD's post.

Happy harvesting everyone.  I know what you mean about more spuds than you know what to do with HG, but those first plates full, served dripping with butter, are something else aren't they