[LotuSeed]

While doing my daily garden walk lol, I notice that some of my potatoes are getting ready to flower. I'm guessing they'll be open in the next few days. The taters were planted the last week in March. We've been having some unseasonably warm temperatures for the last couple of weeks and I'm wondering if this has spurred them on? I've been earthing up but the tops are at least 10inches high and I'm running out of vertical space for soil! The variety is Red Pontiac aka Dakota Chief and is an American one. I think, but am not certain, that it's an early main crop. All that said, my question is, is it too early for them to be flowering?? I'm a total newb at growing them so any help is greatly appreciated. 🌱

[Salmo]

They have been planted 50 days. The very early bulking up varieties such as Rocket and Swift bulk up in 70 days. That is under English conditions with shorter days and lower temperatures. Varieties may have different names in the US

Once the flowers are open we usually expect there to be potatoes underneath. Push your fingers into the soil and have a "furtle". That is an old English word. Eat the first potatoes when some of them are about 2 inches across. You will not get a great yield but they taste wonderful.

[RJR_38]

Or wait for the foliage to start to die back and harvest bigger potatoes! It depends on what you prefer...

[Salmo]

Or wait for the foliage to start to die back and harvest bigger potatoes! It depends on what you prefer...

Yes, but what is the point of growing earlies if you let them mature and lose that sweet freshly dug new potato taste.

[LotuSeed]

This variety is considered maincrop (early maincrop depending on what source you read). This is confusing. Why all the different terms? First earlies, second earlies etc. I have other varieties growing that are considered "early". I think I'll just wait until the tops start to die back. Uy😧. Thanks for the advice!

[sunshineband]

Or you can have a furtle about and see what's down there! Sometimes I sneak out a few of the one large enough to eat and push the soil back again... or sometimes just push the soil back again and go home to wait 

[RJR_38]

Or wait for the foliage to start to die back and harvest bigger potatoes! It depends on what you prefer...

Yes, but what is the point of growing earlies if you let them mature and lose that sweet freshly dug new potato taste.

Because some second earlies are just as good larger and store really well (kestrel for example). Maincrop is much more prone to blight and so for some of us this is a good way to avoid it

[Steveharford]

To confuse further LotuSeed, we have the best known early - international kidney- better known as Jersey Royal, which is actually a main crop spud, picked early !

[LotuSeed]

To confuse further LotuSeed, we have the best known early - international kidney- better known as Jersey Royal, which is actually a main crop spud, picked early !

Well sheesh, no my head is totally done in. So are "new" potatoes any variety that are picked before they fully mature?  I'm really having a hard time wrapping my head around potatoes lol. I have some that are listed as early season, and others listed as maincrop. But all of the days to maturation are in a similar window. Really appreciate the input you guys have offered.
Signed,
Confuzzled in America