[BLOOMING LOVELY]

Hi everyone. My spuds seem to have done well looking at the foliage but I am not sure when to start harvesting them. I have:

Maris Piper both in the ground and a large container (3' x 3')

Charlotte in containers (not so large)

Pink Fir in containers (not so large)

I have scrabbled around and pull up one plant of the garden Maris Piper and it was as I expected a couple of decent sizes and a few mixed. I also sacrifices one Charlotte and got the same results.

I am in a quandary whether to harvest as I need, or harvest and put in hessian sacks for storage.

All advise is very welcome.

Thank you

[sunshineband]

Have a search around as there have been a few threads about this recently 

In a nutshell:

In the ground can equal slug damage

Dig them now equals no more growth

So it depends on what you want to do....

[mumofstig]

According to the British Potato Database
http://varieties.potato.org.uk/varietyindex.php%20%20%20%20?page_no=2

Charlottes are 2nd early, so you can harvest them anytime from now.
Maris Piper is a maincrop, and Pink Fir Apple is a late maincrop - so neither of these should be harvested until the foliage has died down, for maximum yield for storage. If you want to harvest them earlier you can, of course, but I wouldn't unless you really need to

[BLOOMING LOVELY]

Thanks to both, notes have been made. I shall pull the Charlottes when I need them and the Maris Piper and Pink Fir I shall leave. Slugs beware !!!!! Good job I have grapefruit every morning

[peapod]

Its strange for me this year

ive found that my Maris Piper have started to die down already, but my Desiree are still going strongly.  Looks like MP will be ready to harvest earlier?

[Lazy-al]

I think I am in the same boat Peapod, although this is my first year and still unsure of what to expect. I have 2 varieties of maincrop in, (I can't recall varieties off hand) 1 type the foliage is still big and lush but the other seems a bit sparse, it doesn’t seem to be turning brown but doesn't seem as big.

However my first earlies (supposed to be duke of York but turned out to be red duke of York) and 2nd earlies (Maris Peer) were delish. Still have 5 Maris Peer plants to go. 

[BLOOMING LOVELY]

I had some Charlottes in a container so decided to empty them. Got a far better yield than I expected. From 5 seeds pototes (well 4 really, I chopped a large one in half). I got I would say in the region of 5lbs. Some were quite a decent size. I used the small ones in a couple of meals and left 4 of the larger ones for maybe a week in the garden in a wire basket thinking the skins would harden off a little. I brought them in last evening to use and I used a plastic scrubber on them. I was totally surprised to find the flesh under the skin had a green sheen to it and in some places the green was the size of a 10p. What did I do wrong. I believe you should not eat green potatoes.  I have to say I was more than a tad upset that I had messed up.

[mumofstig]

you shouldn't have left them in the garden in the light, that's what has caused the greening
They must be kept in the dark.

I would peel the thin green layer off, if that is all it is, and eat them

[BLOOMING LOVELY]

Too late I chucked 'em in disgust. I shall know better next time. I think I read somewhere that it is better to cut the tops off and leave them for a week or so in the soil to harden off. I had forgotten this bit altogether.

[LewisNoah]

Also a novice potato grower, do we have to cut the foliage down (notice the farmer down the road has done this to his crop)?  Have dug up a small area and have had enough for a small meal, they were delicious.  Advice would be welcome please.

[DD.]

The crucial question.

What variety are they? What you do depends on that.

[BLOOMING LOVELY]

The crucial question.

What variety are they? What you do depends on that.

I have Charlottes, Pink Fir and Maris Piper.

I also thought of a very good use for the paper bags from Primark.......

[DD.]

Sorry, last question was aimed at lewisnoah. Gone off at a bit of a tangent!

[Vit]

Too late I chucked 'em in disgust.

OMG Don't want to eat them? Make starch!

[BLOOMING LOVELY]

Too late I chucked 'em in disgust.

OMG Don't want to eat them? Make starch!

Why would I want to make starch .....?