[Ed89]

Hi all,

first year growing and I made the typical rookie error of not making note of when I planted my early spuds, they are all looking really healthy and are all about 12 inches tall now,

Also as it was kind of an experiment and I only planted earlies, do I have to harvest them all at the same time or can I keep some in the ground to keep them fresh, or do they store well anyway.

Sorry I have so many questions but I just know so little.

Or could I pick them and all and quickly get some more spuds in the same ground?

Also I think I heard something about they are ready to harvest a week after flowing?? Is that true or did I just make that up.


Any help would be very much appreciated   

[fatcat1955]

When they begin to flower usually means there are spud's down there. Have a little furtle and see how big they are . You can leave them in until you are ready for them but remember they will get a lot bigger as the season goes on .

[gavinjconway]

Earlies are normally ready in about 12 weeks so you need to think hard to remember when you planted them.. was it beginning, middle or end of march.. this would give you a rough guideline of when they should be ready. As above, watch foe the flowers and when they die off the spuds are getting ready.. You say the plants are about 12" tall now... Have you earthed them up yet? If not you sure need to. Pull up the soil from between the rows and cover almost the whole plant just leaving a couple of inches showing through. You can do this again in a few weeks time when they have grown another 8" or so..

[Salmo]

The whole point of growing earlies is that wonderful taste of the first ones. Dig a few plants when you think there are a few potatoes big enough to eat. They are the best.

Once potatoes start to bulk up they do so quite quickly. At first you may need 3 plants to get a meal. Just a few golf ball sized potatoes on your plate but delicious. A week later you will only need two. Soon you will have to cut them in two to cook them.

Dig them as you want them. Eventually the tops will start to yellow and will die off. Leave them in the ground until you want them.

[Dopey113]

And dont do what I did, I missed loads when I was digging them up, and this year there growing all over the place, (I then grew spuds in a different place) this was about the only thing I put in the ground last year, as I got my plot late in the year and just grew them for Christmas and new year spuds, so make sure you get them all up

[JayG]

Since planting on 30th March my first earlies have had to endure a month of heavy rain and low temperatures, followed by another 3 weeks of low temperatures, and just as they were showing through the soil they had to be earthed up last week due to a frost forecast.

It will be a miracle indeed if mine are ready in 12 weeks! 

[fletcherbaker]

I planted mine first week of march but as JayG said they really have gone through it with low temps and heavy rain mine have been struggling

[arugula]

Are they first or second earlies? Firsts should be ready in about 12 weeks but seconds take around 16 weeks. Also, as already noted, they might be a bit slow this year due to the inclement spring weather.

[boogaloo]

I have to say I was pretty optimistic, and planted out my spuds on 28th Feb for first earlies, 15 March for maincrops.

They've been going great guns, and I've had to earth them up 3 times so far and have now run out of soil to earth them up Out of curiosity, is there a limit to how much you should earth them up?

The only problem I have now is that my maincrops caught up with my first earlies so fast that I can't remember which were which...



I'm just kind of hoping that the first earlies will flower before the maincrop to give me a hint

[DD.]

If you know which variety you planted, this may help you track them down from their other characteristics:

http://varieties.potato.org.uk/quick_search.php

I'm still wondering how you "pick" potatoes! 

[A Reyt Tayty]

If you know which variety you planted, this may help you track them down from their other characteristics:

http://varieties.potato.org.uk/quick_search.php

I'm still wondering how you "pick" potatoes! 

Eeny, meeny, myny, mo.

[DD.]

"One potato, two potato......." would be more apt!

[gavinjconway]

or one slug, two slugs ....