[Barbara Good]

Hi there!

First post as a new member but a long-time lurker I'm a bit worried about my potatoes, and hope someone can offer advice! I planted FE, SE and maincrop seed potatoes (I can't remember exactly which varieties off the top of my head, unfortunately) on 10 April, about 6" below the surface, no ridges, just planted into flat ground. Four weeks later I've yet to see any leaves sprouting, and am wondering if something's gone wrong? I grew potatoes last year and they did well, with a minimum of care. I've planted in a different area of the plot this year.

Should I be patient and wait another couple of weeks? I've already planted another row of FE just in case... I also had a bit of a furtle but couldn't find a single seed potato!

[Kajazy]

Mine also haven't appeared yet! Not sure what it is...I'm going to hang on for a bit though!

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

I suspect not much growing has been going on with the recent drought.

Patience.

[Salmo]

As with all things that do not come up my advice is to have a gentle dig to find a seed and see what is happening.

With luck they are just too dry, but they could have been chewed by slugs, wireworms, leatherjacket or a host of other creatures that are the natural inhabitants of your soil and were there first.

[shokkyy]

Haven't got a lurcher, have you? That's where all mine went.

[Paul Plots]

You need a few foxes!

On my plot the little dears keeping checking to see if my spuds are down there. The more I earth them up the more the foxes attempt to transplant them. 

Did you chit your potatoes before planting them? Not doing so may have slowed them down. But I'd imagine much of the delay is due to the dry conditions.

Have a bit of patience. I doubt if the creepy-crawlies could have "done them all in" as even those left in the ground by accident pop up eventually. 

[Old Tom]

It could be lack of water. I`ve really gone overboard on the watering with the spring being so dry and all my FE, SE are up and yesterday even the main crop started to push their heads up.

[bigben]

Have faith - they will come. Mine were also particularly slow this year and my maincrop have only just surfaced even though I have been watering to try to counter the very dry April.

[Barbara Good]

Thanks for your replies, everyone - lots of good advice!

I'll do my best to be patient and keep busy with lots of watering (and weeding out the volunteers from last year that are now popping up among my broad beans - I was sure I got them all out!) - they had good strong chits so I'm sure they'll pop up eventually.

I don't have a lurcher but my mother-in-law does - I'll get her to have a word with him and see if he knows what's happened