Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

Alan

alan.holmes wrote:
Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

Alan



I've started digging mine. Try lifting a root. See if they are big
enough to eat. I will continue digging and eating mine now as earlies
right until they have died off in Autumn and full grown to full size.

--
David in Normandy.
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In message , David in Normandy
writes
alan.holmes wrote:
Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!
Alan


I've started digging mine. Try lifting a root. See if they are big
enough to eat. I will continue digging and eating mine now as earlies
right until they have died off in Autumn and full grown to full size.

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until they
had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember where the
info came from.
--
June Hughes

"alan.holmes" wrote ...

Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

10 to 12 weeks for new ones, but as David says, suck it and see.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

June Hughes wrote:

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until they
had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember where the
info came from.

I've heard that too, but take the view that if they are big enough to
eat then do so; cheaper than buying new potatoes. I suppose it depends
on how many you've planted as to whether you can "waste" a few by
digging them up before they are full size. I've got more than 300 plants
so I can dig as soon as possible. The biggest chore is digging them up,
especially if the ground bakes hard, it has a lot of clay in it. I
probably won't get around to lifting the last of them until the tops
have completely died off. Trouble then is finding where to dig without
impaling some.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

In message , David in Normandy
writes
June Hughes wrote:

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until
they had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember where
the info came from.

I've heard that too, but take the view that if they are big enough to
eat then do so; cheaper than buying new potatoes. I suppose it depends
on how many you've planted as to whether you can "waste" a few by
digging them up before they are full size. I've got more than 300
plants so I can dig as soon as possible. The biggest chore is digging
them up, especially if the ground bakes hard, it has a lot of clay in
it. I probably won't get around to lifting the last of them until the
tops have completely died off. Trouble then is finding where to dig
without impaling some.

In my usual wimpish way, I have planted mine in buckets and one large
container about a metre high, so shall wait for a little while. The
plants extend about 2 feet above the edge of the buckets now, so there
should be plenty of potatoes when they are ready - I hope.
--
June Hughes

June Hughes wrote:
In message , David in Normandy
writes
June Hughes wrote:

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until
they had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember where
the info came from.

I've heard that too, but take the view that if they are big enough to
eat then do so; cheaper than buying new potatoes. I suppose it depends
on how many you've planted as to whether you can "waste" a few by
digging them up before they are full size. I've got more than 300
plants so I can dig as soon as possible. The biggest chore is digging
them up, especially if the ground bakes hard, it has a lot of clay in
it. I probably won't get around to lifting the last of them until the
tops have completely died off. Trouble then is finding where to dig
without impaling some.

In my usual wimpish way, I have planted mine in buckets and one large
container about a metre high, so shall wait for a little while. The
plants extend about 2 feet above the edge of the buckets now, so there
should be plenty of potatoes when they are ready - I hope.
I've often wondered about that method, won't the largest spuds be at the
bottom of the tub? If so that would make piecemeal harvesting vexing.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

In message , Broadback
writes
June Hughes wrote:
In message , David in
Normandy writes
June Hughes wrote:

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until
they had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember
where the info came from.

I've heard that too, but take the view that if they are big enough
to eat then do so; cheaper than buying new potatoes. I suppose it
depends on how many you've planted as to whether you can "waste" a
few by digging them up before they are full size. I've got more than
300 plants so I can dig as soon as possible. The biggest chore is
digging them up, especially if the ground bakes hard, it has a lot
of clay in it. I probably won't get around to lifting the last of
them until the tops have completely died off. Trouble then is
finding where to dig without impaling some.

In my usual wimpish way, I have planted mine in buckets and one large
container about a metre high, so shall wait for a little while. The
plants extend about 2 feet above the edge of the buckets now, so there
should be plenty of potatoes when they are ready - I hope.
I've often wondered about that method, won't the largest spuds be at
the bottom of the tub? If so that would make piecemeal harvesting
vexing.

I haven't tried it before but one of the bins I have has round sliding
covers very near the bottom, on the sides, so theoretically I can dig
out potatoes from the bottom. I shall let you know how it goes when the
time comes The black rubber buckets won't be so easy.
--
June Hughes

In message , alan.holmes
writes

Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

Alan

My potatoes were developing brown spots on the leaves, followed by
shrivelling leaves, so I lifted the block and got what I thought was a
decent crop (7.5kg). On the other hand, there were early started first
earlies.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

On 12 June, 16:22, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"alan.holmes" wrote ...

Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

10 to 12 weeks for new ones, but as David says, suck it and see.

After the flowrs have died back was the old kitchen garden method, but
that got you large 'main crop' tubers, not 'new potatoes'. If the
soil is loose enough, just have a look at one - if it has nothing
worthwile underneath you might be able to heel it back in, even. But
I doubt that...

In article , David in Normandy
writes
June Hughes wrote:

Oh. I think mine are main crop but thought you had to wait until
they had finished flowering? I may be wrong and can't remember where
the info came from.

I've heard that too, but take the view that if they are big enough to
eat then do so; cheaper than buying new potatoes. I suppose it depends
on how many you've planted as to whether you can "waste" a few by
digging them up before they are full size. I've got more than 300
plants so I can dig as soon as possible. The biggest chore is digging
them up, especially if the ground bakes hard, it has a lot of clay in
it. I probably won't get around to lifting the last of them until the
tops have completely died off. Trouble then is finding where to dig
without impaling some.



Trouble is, in the last few years, this area at any rate, has suffered
blight, so presumably the quicker you can grow and eat the potatoes the
less chance you have of losing them!!

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
In message alan.holmes writes

Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

Alan

My potatoes were developing brown spots on the leaves, followed by
shrivelling leaves, so I lifted the block and got what I thought was a
decent crop (7.5kg). On the other hand, there were early started first
earlies.

Lifted two of my earlies yesterday on the allotment. Bit disappointing :
total of about 20 pots at 1" diameter. Local farmer said that the dry spell
in May didn't help.

..

Incorrect - wait 2 weeks approx AFTER top groth (hulm) wilts to allow tubers to set and the skins harden slightly.

In message , coeur
writes

alan.holmes;850670 Wrote:
Some have flowers on and I don't know whether that is a sign!

Alan

Incorrect - wait 2 weeks approx AFTER top groth (hulm) wilts to allow
tubers to set and the skins harden slightly.


I believe the word is haulm .... i.e. the thing that wilts.
--
Gopher .... I know my place!

In message , Gopher
writes
In message , coeur
writes

wait 2 weeks approx AFTER top groth (hulm) wilts to allow
tubers to set and the skins harden slightly.

I believe the word is haulm .... i.e. the thing that wilts.

I'm struggling with "groth".
Gardeners' Broth?
--
Gordon H
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