The potatoes are growing well, all of them, earlies, second earlies
and maincrop.

The green tops are huge, I can't remember ever seeing green tops
so big, but what can I expect of the potatoes themselves, does the
height of the greenery imply that the potatoes are going to be a
good crop as well.

And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

"Alan wrote in message
The green tops are huge, I can't remember ever seeing green tops
so big, but what can I expect of the potatoes themselves, does the
height of the greenery imply that the potatoes are going to be a
good crop as well.

No, it's not the size of the tops but the thickness of the stems as they
leave the soil. At least that's what old Bill used to say. :-)

And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Approx. 12 weeks from planting.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Approx. 12 weeks from planting.

You mean we're suppposed to count?

Didn't know that - and I can't remember when I planted mine :-( I've usually
waited until the leaves were wilting and yellow.

Mary

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 12:50:17 +0100, "Alan Holmes"
wrote:


And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Anyone hear GQT today? BobF said that if you investigate your
potatoes and they are only like peas you could plant them again. I
need to listen again to get the full info. Maybe he said that if you
harvest a few and there are others which are pea sized, then you could
replant. (I record it............even have Jenny on tape! "Oh s***")
Also, I think you are supposed to wait till they flower, then you can
remove the flowers to get the crop to grow bigger. Also when they
flower is when you should water.

Pam in Bristol

"Pam wrote in message

And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Anyone hear GQT today? BobF said that if you investigate your
potatoes and they are only like peas you could plant them again. I
need to listen again to get the full info. Maybe he said that if you
harvest a few and there are others which are pea sized, then you could
replant. (I record it............even have Jenny on tape! "Oh s***")
Also, I think you are supposed to wait till they flower, then you can
remove the flowers to get the crop to grow bigger. Also when they
flower is when you should water.


Leave "Main Crops" to flower by all means but not "Earlies" or you will end
up with large potatoes that are not "new".
I've heard of people carefully scraping away the soil and removing any
edible sized new spuds and then re covering the roots with the tiny embryo
potatoes to get the them up to size too.

--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.

The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:




And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

Approx. 12 weeks from planting.

You mean we're suppposed to count?

Didn't know that - and I can't remember when I planted mine :-( I've usually
waited until the leaves were wilting and yellow.

That's for harvesting your main crop for storage.

You're missing the gorgeous early new potato crop..the best part of
growing your own. When the potato patch is still bright green and fresh,
but shows more than a dozen flowers, you can be pretty sure that
potatoes are forming. Find out if the tubers are ready by gently
scraping back the earth to have a look; don't dig up the plant! If they
are still only marble size, cover the tubers again; but check again soon
because the transition from marbles to eating size is very fast. Just
uncover enough tubers to pick for your meal,(which will perhaps mean
scraping around several plants) and leave the plants in the ground to
grow more.

My Arran Pilots were planted on April 19th, opened their first flowers
a week ago and had new potatoes the size of pigeon eggs when I looked
yesterday; first harvest should be this week.

Janet (Isle of Arran).

Alan Holmes wrote:

The potatoes are growing well, all of them, earlies, second earlies
and maincrop.

The green tops are huge, I can't remember ever seeing green tops
so big, but what can I expect of the potatoes themselves, does the
height of the greenery imply that the potatoes are going to be a
good crop as well.

And, when is the earliest that I can start scraping away at the soil to
pick a few earlies, I don't want to dig them up as that always results
in losing some.

We've eaten some of ours already, they were actually a few 'self sown'
ones left over from alst years crop so we rather wanted to clear them
from the 'worng place' anyway. They were absolutely delicious and there
wasa pretty good crop from the two we've dug so far.

--
Chris Green )

You're missing the gorgeous early new potato crop..the best part of
growing your own. When the potato patch is still bright green and fresh,
but shows more than a dozen flowers, you can be pretty sure that
potatoes are forming. Find out if the tubers are ready by gently
scraping back the earth to have a look; don't dig up the plant! If they
are still only marble size, cover the tubers again; but check again soon
because the transition from marbles to eating size is very fast. Just
uncover enough tubers to pick for your meal,(which will perhaps mean
scraping around several plants) and leave the plants in the ground to
grow more.

My Arran Pilots were planted on April 19th, opened their first flowers
a week ago and had new potatoes the size of pigeon eggs when I looked
yesterday; first harvest should be this week.

Janet (Isle of Arran).

Thank you Janet. I've got some Arran Somethings - can't remember which
though.

You're right about freshly dug potatoes, it's why I wanted to grow them.
It's not just the flavour either, the sight of those beautiful, shining
tubers is glorious, like eggs, like pearls ...

Mary

I've heard of people carefully scraping away the soil and removing any
edible sized new spuds and then re covering the roots with the tiny embryo
potatoes to get the them up to size too.

I've done that, I thought it was just because I was a tight Tyke, not that
it was a recognised procedure!

Mary
--
Bob

www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an Allotment site in
Runnymede fighting for it's existence.