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Hello,

Following the advice here I bought some seed potatoes. I found 2nd
earlies and main crop in the garden centre and took them home and
chitted them. Later I bought some 1st earlies too. All varieties are
now growing, but the 2nd earlies are taller than the 1st earlies; I
don't know if that's because they had a head start as I bought the 1st
earlies slightly later or whether that variety just grows taller
anyway? It could also be the 1st earlies are slightly more in the
shade.

I have just moved to this garden so I don't have an established
compost heap, so I have been buying compost to help with the earthing
up. I have not used any feeds, so perhaps they have taken nutrients
from the compost? What feeds do you recommend if any? I haven't done
much watering; the rain has taken care of that. So with the exception
of earthing up, they have been relatively maintenance free. What
should I be doing to them?

Finally, and most importantly, how do I know when it is time to
harvest the tubers?

Thanks.

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Re. your last question.
You wait until the plant is flowering and, - at the beginning, - when they,
the flowers, start to wilt a bit you tentatively start to harvest the
taties, (Usually Earlies, because at that stage they are bright and fresh),
but, - if you are going to use each plant singly you can scratch into the
side of the furrow mound at any particular plant you fancy has developed
enough, and have a decko. Some of the taties will be there in the side of
the furrow, but don't go too deep in.
If you are going to fully harvest and store, (not necessary if you are not a
farmer) you wait until you think there are some taties big enough and if
so, you then dig up a root and use them if big enough. They will be a bit
smaller than usual but as you begin to dig them up at intervals as needed.
If there are too many little ones clinging to the roots don't dig any more
up for a week or three.
With Lates the ones left in will develop until the last one dug up will be a
bit more than fully mature and at that stage the flowers will have gone and
sometimes you can leave them in and then leaves grow brown and fall over.
You can harvest and store or dig up as required until all are used up.
Sometimes, if you have no storage place you can leave them in even if its
frosty. How big the crop is for use or storage is important at this stage.
The above is a bit garbled but that''s how it is!,- you bungle along and use
your judgement as best you can. Every case is different, but the above shows
the general way to deal with it.
Doug.
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