[jaydig]

I dug up a couple of roots of first earlies today, but as I walked past the maincrop spuds I noticed that one of the Desiree plants by the side of the path looked decidedly poorly. The leaves looked as if they were dying, and most of them were rolling up. It didn't look like blight, but I thought I'd dig it out anyway in case it was something that would affect the rest of the crop.

I expected to find some small potatoes under it, but imagine my surprise when I unearthed about three pounds of lovely, healthy, good sized spuds.  I think the plant was just dying down because it had done it's job, but its a bit early for that. The others all look ok, so I think it was just an oddity, but I've never had maincrops potatoes make a good size as early as this before.  I'm sure it's all down to the variations in weather we've had this season.

[BabbyAnn]

It's nice having a lovely surprise when you least expect it 

You don't mention which variety maincrop - there are "early" and "late" maincrop varieties and some suppliers may have mislabelled them (I've seen a couple of varieties classed as maincrop which I would expect to die back in end of August/mid September, when they are in fact second earlies ready in early-mid July depending on when they were planted and if the weather was mild)

I have my fingers crossed for my first and second earlies beng a good yield - we got some heavy rain about the time they were starting to flower so that would have bulked up the tubers nicely 

[mumofstig]

one of the Desiree plants

Desiree is an early maincrop, and I find there are big spuds at the same time as the 2nd earlies are ready, but they carry on getting bigger and don't usually die back until a bit later - unless the soil is dry.

Perhaps that patch isn't holding onto moisture very well

[BabbyAnn]

one of the Desiree plants

  sorry, I think I need to go to Specsavers ....

[mumofstig]

I've already been   

[jaydig]

I've already been   

I don't have any trouble reading stuff - I just forget what I've read two seconds after the event!

You're probably right about the lack of moisture as this particular plant was adjacent to the slabbed path, and the soil does get dry there.