[wendyg]

Hi, due to back and hip issues I haven't been able to dig up last years potatoes.  I probably will not be able to do any digging on the allotment until mid summer (due to have an hip replacement op. soon).  If new potato growth is kept hoed, will this eventually make the potatoes just rot away, or will I still need to dig them up?
Thanks
Wendy

[al78]

If you kept hoeing them and hoed as soon as green growth was visible, then I imagine eventually the potato will run out of energy in the tuber to fuel growth and it will die, then either rot or be eaten by slugs.