[BabyStar]

Can someone please answer this for me regarding 1st earlies, 2nd earlies and maincrop potatoes?
I read in a book by Joy Larkcom that 1st/2nd/maincrop denotes the amount of time that a potato will take to mature. It said that although people do plant in order that you can plant any of them at any time.
My husband has read in another book (or possibly been advised by our gardening neighbour) 1st/2nd/maincrop is planted in order and all are ready at certain times, therefore no matter how early we planted our maincrop they still won't be ready until early September.
Can someone clarify which is correct? It doesn't make sense to me that for example two of the same crop, planted a month apart would be ready at the same time?

[SUTTY1]

In my experience and what i've read i'd agree with JL. It's all about time from planting to maturity

[mumofstig]

Yes I think it's time from planting to maturity as well

[BabyStar]

I will try and persuade my husband that I'm right for a change then 

[sunshineband]

I will try and persuade my husband that I'm right for a change then 

Just tell him we agreed with you and you is right 

[Ralphy]

I just got the mr forthergills summer pamphlet through the door,and they're advertising 2nd earlys to plant late july for winter spuds, including maris peer which i planted back in april for harvesting late july.
 this seems to support the planting to maturity time argument, although i'd never heard of this practice before, it seems plausable.
honestly, the more i learn the more bewildered i get  

[gobs]

Both of them have a point. It is time to maturity, however, even those sold as earlies will chit and grow at different speed. It is also influenced by variety to a great deal.

And weather. The past flowering, foliage died back seems to be a more reliable guide to me.

[Salmo]

The definition of First Early, Second Early and Maincrop is based on the time it takes from planting to bulking up.

Very fast earlies like Swift produce tubers in 70 days, second earlies in about 90 days and maincrop in 120 days, or something of that order.

If they are all planted at the same time they will produce in sucession. However, it is common practice to plant first earlies when the soil has not really warmed up in the hope of getting an early crop of lovely new potatoes by the end of May. Earlies benefit from chitting which breaks their dormancy and allows them to start growth in cool soils.

Timing is not so critical for seconds and maincrop and they can wait until the soil has warmed up. It makes little difference whether they are bulked up in July or September. That is unless blight comes early and tops are removed before the crop has fully bulked up. For this reason many organic growers choose to grow second earlies rather than maincrop varieties.

[BabyStar]

I think I get it now but still so much else to learn about everything! Our flowers have dropped off the potatoes now but still green foliage, so have to wait til that starts to wilt before they're likely to be ready? We did pull one plant last week and they were varying sizes, none really what you'd call full size though.
My Juliette potatoes that I planted at the same time definitely look ready though, I grew them from 4 new potatoes that sprouted and they are bigger than they were when I bought them in the bag from the supermarket. Guess this would make them second earlies?
I think this is going to be a silly question but if a potato is left in the ground will it keep getting bigger? Or do different types only get to a certain size?

[mumofstig]

The early potatoes can be picked before the foliage dies down.........just to get those first baby potatoes of the season, have a furtle..pull a bit of the earth away and see if they are big enough to eat, or not

The others are usually left til foliage dies down.
Different varieties tend to be different sizes by the time the foliage dies down, but will continue to get bigger til that happens

[brokenglass]

first and second earlies are pots that have been developed to produce tubers as soon as the plant starts into growth maincrop pots act as the original pots from the Andes and don't start tuber production until after the longest day.    Well thats what I was told anyway