[willnbirdie]

Hi

Been down the plot today and our earlies are starting to flower nicely.  One or two have slightly stunted growth and have been dug up due to potato cyst eelworm (fortunately at present we don't appear to have a large problem).

The spuds on the stunted plants were many but most were marble size although some were what I would call decent new pots.  We are hoping that the plants that have grown well (more than twice the size of the stunted ones) will have larger potatoes.  However when we start to lift them if they don't do we need to leave them a bit longer?

My question is we know that we are supposed to lift earlies when the plants flower.  If we were to leave them in the ground a few weeks more would they increase in size or do they just stop getting bigger when they flower?

cheers

willnbirdie

[gobs]

1) My question is we know that we are supposed to lift earlies when the plants flower.

2) If we were to leave them in the ground a few weeks more would they increase in size

1 - You are not. You can start depending on season and variety.

2 - Yes, hugely.

[wighty]

My earlies haven't flowered yet so am still buying them, will they ever flower I wonder, the second earlies are only about six inches high and the main crop four, I'm going into despair mode.

[Jen]

My earlies haven't flowered yet so am still buying them, will they ever flower I wonder, the second earlies are only about six inches high and the main crop four, I'm going into despair mode.

i think i remember from some-where that not all early spuds flower,
may be wrong  :?  have a ferret around and see whats under um

jen    :flower:

[mashauk]

My earlies haven't flowered at all, but there's still delicious decent size spuds under the plants, my lates are flowering now though.

[strangerachael]

I've had lots of earlies and second earlies that never flowered. I start to dig when the foliage starts die back a bit. But if you leave them too long the foliage disappears and you don't know where they are.

[littlelisa]

I've had lots of earlies and second earlies that never flowered. I start to dig when the foliage starts die back a bit. But if you leave them too long the foliage disappears and you don't know where they are.

Is that the reason you don't "store" them underground? Cos I'm still working out where to store our potatoes once we've harvested them (all still flowering like mad, tons of foliage). We have a tiny apartment which is VERY bright and warm and sunny; no nice dark place to keep a sack of potatoes! Wondering whether a hessian sack inside a waterproof plastic bin on the balcony might work. But til then, they'll be staying underground as long as I can leave them, just digging up a plant at a time...

[DD.]

Wondering whether a hessian sack inside a waterproof plastic bin on the balcony might work.

Wherever you find to store them, please don't store them in a waterproof plastic bin or anything else waterproof for that matter! You'll get condensation on the inside & the spuds will soon go off.

I think from a piccie you posted, you've got a shed.

In there in a sack would be fine for now. You can bring a few days supply back at at time from there.