Early Maincrop

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AndyRVTR

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Early Maincrop
« on: July 29, 2022, 14:27 »
After watching one or two of my Desiree maincrop stems starting to turn yellow and falling over, I thought it might be time for an early harvest. So, it was out with the fork and I ever so gently lifted one of the plants.. they were planted in my double height raised bed which has a faily light soil but with plenty of last years rotted compost added and left to overwinter.
When it was time to plant my tubers, holes were dug around 9" deep with 2" of compost plus spuds galore fertiliser added in the bottom followed by the tuber and then filled with the same mix. From the one plant I lifted I've managed to get just over 3kg of spuds of varying sizes which I think is a fairly good return. However, some of the larger spuds have a lot of scab on them, probably more through under watering than anything else. I won't be using them for next years seed and I know I can eat them (skin removed) but will they store OK?
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Anton

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2022, 14:39 »
I have stored potatoes like that in the past and they seemed to keep OK. However, I only plant earlies and semi-earlies these days (to avoid the blight) and they are generally all consumed by October, November and sometimes December (although they tend to be sprouting like mad at that stage).

Anton

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mumofstig

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2022, 19:50 »
My Desiree were always scabby, they always kept ok, though sometimes it meant peeling them quite thickly and it's not the best of looks on a jacket spud either  ::) :D

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Growster...

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2022, 05:47 »
Mrs Growster and I were mulling over the way this year's spuds have turned out, and the way the heat has changed things, and we wondered how hotter countries like Spain, Greece, Portugal etc., get on with growing them? We never thought that - say - Italian spuds were all that popular, but there again, we just love any pasta, so that's fine by us when on holiday!

When I lifted our PJs earlier this week, the soil was bone dry - making it a lot easier, but will maincrop spuds fare well with this hot Summer?

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mumofstig

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2022, 10:52 »
On Zante, the local water supply was from wells/tanks, built where spring water rises to the surface. In the olive grove next door, they grew their potatoes in the light shade from the trees, and had drip pipes from the spring which watered at night. It always smelt lovely and fresh in the morning  8)

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AndyRVTR

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2022, 18:21 »
25kg from 20 seeds.. Good, bad.. you tell me!
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mumofstig

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2022, 18:41 »

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New shoot

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2022, 18:42 »
Given the dry weather, I reckon you have done well  :)

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AndyRVTR

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Re: Early Maincrop
« Reply #8 on: August 13, 2022, 19:11 »
About average according to this https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/a-simple-way-to-get-high-yields-of-potatoes/
Thanks Mum... a very interesting article.. at least I know my crop was about average... I think if they'd been watered more often I may have got a bigger crop.



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