[maddave]

I've started lifting my second earlies and main crop spuds this week. They have been in since the 1st of Aprilish, but the leaves seemed to die out about a month ago, (not sure why!)

Apart from the odd one or two, most of the spuds are smaller than golf balls and very pathetic. What is the secret to decent, supermarket sized spuds?  I watered the spuds every few days or so, but didn't feed them, apart from a few scatterings of chicken pellets early on.

Any tips would be appreciated.

[Aunt Sally]

I get good sized potatoes. 

We feed them with potato fertiliser two or three times while they are growing.  When watering they need a good soaking occasionally rather than a splash.

[RJR_38]

I've found that I get bigger spuds on the shadier side of my plot - perhaps because the soil stays moister? I only water if we have had no rain for a week and then give them a soak, otherwise I leave them to it. I didn't water mine at all this year. I give them potato fertiliser at the start, a few bouts of chicken manure pelts early on and then wait until everything has completely died back. I have found that some varieties are better suited to my slightly clay soil (kestrel and Casablanca) as well so perhaps you should try some different varieties?

[Eblana]

I have found that if I plant my spuds close together (about 10 inches apart) I get less potatoes but they are all big.  I also feed twice during growing season and give them a really good soak once a week during dry spells.

[maddave]

Thanks all.  So a few good feeds seem to be what I am missing I think.  I'll try this next year.

[ptarmigan]

I planted mine with comfrey and seaweed. Gave them a water once with comfrey tea. And I've had the best crop ever.  I think that was more down to the fact it's been quit wet here and they've had a lot of rain.

[BabbyAnn]

I've started lifting my second earlies and main crop spuds this week. They have been in since the 1st of Aprilish, but the leaves seemed to die out about a month ago, (not sure why!)

I watered the spuds every few days or so, but didn't feed them, apart from a few scatterings of chicken pellets early on.

this LINK might be of interest - the key is potash when growing potatoes (a typical analysis of potato fertilizer looks like):

4% nitrogen, 2.5% phosphorus pentoxide and 8% potassium oxide with trace elements
 

also see the RHS link about chicken manure pellets:

Dried poultry manure can be used on vegetable and fruit crops, although additional potassium fertiliser may be needed (e.g. sulphate of potash or organic potassium-rich fertilisers derived from sugar beet processing).

Also your watering method might need looking at - after flowering, the soil really needs a good drenching.  Sometimes when the ground is very dry (and it has certainly been dry here in Nottinghamshire until recently), the amount of water reaching the roots from hose watering might just not be enough.  In previous wet years (2007 & 2012), aside from high risk of blight, I found the size of the tubers were enormous.

It might also depend on what variety you grew - Estima make for big baking potatoes

[mikem]

I'm certainly not an expert but is it anything to do with reducing the number of shoots/chits to 2 or 3 when planting out?

[brokenglass]

AS others have written it is down to feed and water.     No need to water anything up here this year but a lot of the nutrients will have been washed away.    I use manure late/early over the entire bed add manure and F/B/B when planting top dress with F/B/B and will use comfrey tea through the growing period.    Not just for tatties but the ground is then OK for the following crop and with rotation the entire plot is well nourished.

[LottyLouis]

So...just checked the ingredients on my bottle of Levingtons Tomorite with added sea weed extract - and it's got potassium at 8%. I'm guessing this would be a good feed for potatoes? My late ones are just breaking through. When and how often should I feed them?

[Kleftiwallah]

I did hear from an old Gadgy that to get big spuds, remove all but one of the shoots after chitting.  Cheers,   Tony.

[Tenhens]

Plenty of organic matter , I covered our 'potato area' with as much as I could, left it and then planted. I also mulched over each row before earthing up.  Have grow earlies for the first time this year having only done main crop previously, so far the produce has been reasonable.  Planning hopefully to try growing in bags next year.

Had to buy some 'jacket' spuds a few weeks back, very big, but extremely watery. They went in the bin. Potentially size isn't everything.

[oakridge]

I put a thick mulch of compost down, plant into that and then earth up with compost.  I am in a position to make large quantities of compost.  Variety counts of course, the biggest we have ever grown were Francine/Franceline, only available in France as far as I know which one example reached a length of 10.5 inches.

At present I am harvesting Roseval, available from D. T. Brown which are getting bigger as a go down the row.  The crop has never been watered and is very dry, but the tubers are happily growing away.

We visited friends of friends in France who like many in France had the most immaculate vegetable garden so I asked how long the family had been using this piece for vegetables - the answer - about 400 years.  It is rather like the story of the American who visited the tower of London and was very impressed the the lawn and asked what the did to keep it like that.  "Well", said the Beefeater, "the ground was carefully prepared and good seed was sown and then it was cared for and mown for 1000 years" - collapse of stout party.

Malcolm