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09-06-2003, 12:32 AM

The message
from (jane) contains these words:

Another spud problem here - more of a quandary.

I've been growing International Kidney (aka Jerseys) and they are
described by T&M as Second Earlies. Every other seed supplier I looked at
said they were First Earlies.

Who should I believe and should I therefore dig when they flower or when
the foliage dies down?

All potatoes do the same; by the time they flower, tubers are forming.
By the time the leaves die back, the whole crop is ready for lifting.
Whether your crop is a first or second early depends more on when you
planted it in relation to when you pick it, than it's name :-)

The trick is to get the best of both worlds; enjoy some of the crop as
little new potatoes and leave some to mature (making lots of bigger
potatoes).The taste of new baby potatoes freshly lifted from the garden
is divine, unlike anything you can buy in a shop; I've described in
another thread how best to harvest them. Just wash them gently under the
tap, don't peel them; boil or steam less than 10 mins until just tender;
drain and toss very gently with good butter and salt.

Janet.