"Tim Challenger" wrote in message
news:1116497377.44311862fbfeadecdaa1bda7dc7a46b5@t eranews...
On Thu, 19 May 2005 05:58:03 -0400, Harold Walker wrote:

"Tim Challenger" wrote in message
news:1116488094.91436b827674e069b06fef3141fe873a@t eranews...

I've got Mimi, Nichola and Desiree growing well.
I've grown main crops before and I have them sussed: when the greenery
has
dies back.

The question is, when are first and second earlies ready to lift?
All I can gather is "after the flowers have faded". How long after? Do I
lift the 1st earlies then and just lift the seconds when I've eaten them
?
Any other indicators?

--
Tim C.

When the flowers have died down I stick my hand down in the soil and feel
around for some nice ones, enough for a couple of meals and then allow
the
plants to continue their growth pattern...then repeat the process until I
get tired of that and then go full steam ahead....H

Seems like a very empirical and practical way. :-)
I suppose if you don't disturb them too much the tubers will continue to
grow?

Plus they are always "new" as compared to digging a whole bunch at once and
storing a wee bit....I find a spud two weeks out of the ground not to be as
good as one 'fresh out'............H

--
Tim C.