[Marijke Jones]

Dear fellow gardeners,

For the first time this year I have planted potatoes in bags. The plants have been doing well and the king edwards plants have grown quite big and are very healthy, not a mark on the leaves, no bugs and I sprayed in time for blight. I have been reading an article tho’ that you have to prune the plants when they are forming flowers. This will allow more energy to go to forming the tubers. If pruning is required how far do I need to prune the plants?

Your advice is very much appreciated

[AnneB]

Never ever pruned a potato plant. It needs all its leaves to produce a harvest.

[mumofstig]

Removing the flowers makes no difference to yields, or farmers would do it, and pruning leaves will actually reduce yield.
If there is too much top growth you could support it with some canes and string or some wire netting wrapped around the bag.

[Growster...]

Leave them be!

As an aside, I once read an article where an old-time gardener used to trim his plants to just one strong stem, and wire it up to around 6'0" high like one does for runner beans! His crops were outstanding apparently!

[Hampshire Hog]

Never pruned a potato plant or seen anyone else doing so.

[Aunt Sally]

I think you have your answer, MJ !   

[Marijke Jones]

Thank you all for your reply. I will leave them as they are then. They look very well and look forward to the harvest.

[Yorkie]

Just make sure that you continue to water well as the tubers start to swell

[Grubbypaws]

and dont add too much nitrogen or you will get lots of leaf growth at the expense of tubers.