My secondhand knowledge of this is that it is a matter of personal
preference. Some people swear by digging them up all at once, some
reckon that by grubbing around with their hands in the earth they can
pick off the biggest potatoes and allow the remainder to develop. I
don't think any new potatoes will form though.

Andy

"sw" wrote in message
...
Right. My first earlies (Epicure) are in flower; according to the book
of words, this means I can start harvesting potatoes from them. Am I
right in thinking that if I can pick some by hand without uprooting the
plant, it will continue to make potatoes? If so, for how long, and does
it grow new little ones or do the remainder simply grow larger?

Whether or not we have new potatoes with dinner tonight depends on the
answer :-)

regards
sarah


--
Waist deep, neck deep
We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damned fools keep yelling to push on

It is definitely OK to "grub around" for the 'biguns' and allow the rest to
grow......almost a standard procedure for anyone with only a small
plot.......am having some myself this evening......would love to send you a
photo of them but I believe this site does not allow photos......HW
"sw" wrote in message
...
Right. My first earlies (Epicure) are in flower; according to the book
of words, this means I can start harvesting potatoes from them. Am I
right in thinking that if I can pick some by hand without uprooting the
plant, it will continue to make potatoes? If so, for how long, and does
it grow new little ones or do the remainder simply grow larger?

Whether or not we have new potatoes with dinner tonight depends on the
answer :-)

regards
sarah


--
Waist deep, neck deep
We'll be drowning before too long
We're neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the damned fools keep yelling to push on

I am interested in the concept of taking off the flowers to increase tuber
size... Is this correct? Do you remove the flowers??

Ophelia

On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 21:40:09 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:

~I am interested in the concept of taking off the flowers to increase tuber
~size... Is this correct? Do you remove the flowers??

ah - I just read that yesterday in AG mag. Kind of makes sense as it works
for serpentine garlic. Bit academic for mine as they have no flowers yet.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

There was, for many years, the idea of planting your early potatoes through
Black polythene by cutting a cross through the sheet and putting the potato
just under the soil, and then putting a handful of soil over the cut. this
way you would plant 3 rows in the space of 2.
When it came to harvest you just lift the side of the sheet and pick out a
few large potatoes then tuck the sheet down till next lot are wanted.
You could get almost twice the crop per Sq.yard this way.
And it worked

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

"jane" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 21:40:09 +0100, "Ophelia"
wrote:

~I am interested in the concept of taking off the flowers to increase
tuber
~size... Is this correct? Do you remove the flowers??

ah - I just read that yesterday in AG mag. Kind of makes sense as it works
for serpentine garlic. Bit academic for mine as they have no flowers yet.

I have never heard of that I will be interested in other responses)

Thanks Jane

O

On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 22:27:58 +0100, "David Hill"
wrote:

There was, for many years, the idea of planting your early potatoes through
Black polythene by cutting a cross through the sheet and putting the potato
just under the soil, and then putting a handful of soil over the cut. this
way you would plant 3 rows in the space of 2.
When it came to harvest you just lift the side of the sheet and pick out a
few large potatoes then tuck the sheet down till next lot are wanted.
You could get almost twice the crop per Sq.yard this way.
And it worked
But I also ended up with a good crop of ANTS under the poythene.

Pam in Bristol