I planted some potatoes in one of those tall plastic contraptions with
three little hatches at the bottom via which to remove the potatoes. I
thought it was a good, space-saving idea at the time and the potato
plants appear to be growing well. I also have three black plastic
buckets with potatoes growing in them.

Yesterday, I thought I'd just take a look and see if there were any
potatoes ready to harvest in the plastic contraption. When I slid a
hatch (one of three) to one side, all I could see was a little compost
and a huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when
harvesting potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise
please? If there are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where
I have gone wrong. The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only
possible to scrape out a little compost before coming to a halt.
--
June Hughes

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...
I planted some potatoes in one of those tall plastic contraptions with
three little hatches at the bottom via which to remove the potatoes. I
thought it was a good, space-saving idea at the time and the potato plants
appear to be growing well. I also have three black plastic buckets with
potatoes growing in them.

Yesterday, I thought I'd just take a look and see if there were any
potatoes ready to harvest in the plastic contraption. When I slid a hatch
(one of three) to one side, all I could see was a little compost and a
huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when harvesting
potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise please? If there
are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where I have gone wrong.
The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only possible to scrape out
a little compost before coming to a halt.

Might there be some potatoes 'higher up' in your plastic tubs?

In message , BAC
writes

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...
I planted some potatoes in one of those tall plastic contraptions with
three little hatches at the bottom via which to remove the potatoes. I
thought it was a good, space-saving idea at the time and the potato plants
appear to be growing well. I also have three black plastic buckets with
potatoes growing in them.

Yesterday, I thought I'd just take a look and see if there were any
potatoes ready to harvest in the plastic contraption. When I slid a hatch
(one of three) to one side, all I could see was a little compost and a
huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when harvesting
potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise please? If there
are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where I have gone wrong.
The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only possible to scrape out
a little compost before coming to a halt.

Might there be some potatoes 'higher up' in your plastic tubs?


Possibly but there are no 'hatches' further up it. I shall leave it
another couple of weeks and then dig some out from the top - if there
are any.
--
June Hughes

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...
In message , BAC
writes

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...
I planted some potatoes in one of those tall plastic contraptions with
three little hatches at the bottom via which to remove the potatoes. I
thought it was a good, space-saving idea at the time and the potato
plants
appear to be growing well. I also have three black plastic buckets with
potatoes growing in them.

Yesterday, I thought I'd just take a look and see if there were any
potatoes ready to harvest in the plastic contraption. When I slid a
hatch
(one of three) to one side, all I could see was a little compost and a
huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when
harvesting
potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise please? If
there
are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where I have gone
wrong.
The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only possible to scrape
out
a little compost before coming to a halt.

Might there be some potatoes 'higher up' in your plastic tubs?


Possibly but there are no 'hatches' further up it. I shall leave it
another couple of weeks and then dig some out from the top - if there are
any.

That sounds like a good plan. I hope you find some. If you don't, you
shouldn't blame yourself as long as you planted good seed potatoes in decent
compost, earthed up properly, and didn't neglect the watering. What more
should you have done?

In message , BAC
writes

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...
snip

Possibly but there are no 'hatches' further up it. I shall leave it
another couple of weeks and then dig some out from the top - if there are
any.

That sounds like a good plan. I hope you find some. If you don't, you
shouldn't blame yourself as long as you planted good seed potatoes in decent
compost, earthed up properly, and didn't neglect the watering. What more
should you have done?


I have done all that. I shall let you know how it goes. Thanks.
--
June Hughes

On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:08:14 +0100, June Hughes wrote:

all I could see was a little compost
and a huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when
harvesting potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise
please? If there are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where
I have gone wrong. The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only
possible to scrape out a little compost before coming to a halt.

Contrary to common sense, potato tubers are not found in the roots. They
are, biologically, modified shoots, hence the earthing up. Look above the
roots! Good luck.

In message , Derek Turner
writes
On Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:08:14 +0100, June Hughes wrote:

all I could see was a little compost
and a huge mass of thin, white roots. I have never seen so many when
harvesting potatoes in the conventional manner. Can anyone advise
please? If there are no potatoes, it is too late now but I wonder where
I have gone wrong. The compost and weeds are compacted, so it is only
possible to scrape out a little compost before coming to a halt.

Contrary to common sense, potato tubers are not found in the roots. They
are, biologically, modified shoots, hence the earthing up. Look above the
roots! Good luck.

Thanks. Will do.
--
June Hughes