Topic: potatos

[iainjones9]

This has been possibly been ask before but I am new to this but I want to grow potatoes, how do I know they are ready?

[daveyboi]

A good guide is when the foliage starts to die back however you can get a good idea of when from the type of potato grown and the normal time to maturity

Early potatoes produce usable tubers in 100-110 days after planting
•Second earlies in 110-120 days
•Early maincrops after 120-125 days
•Maincrop produce usable tubers after 125-140 days

With early potatoes you will find they are normally ready around the time they start flowering and can have a firkle at around 90 days to see how they are coming on.

[Tee Gee]

Davey was a bit quicker on the draw than I was!

I was going to give similar advice as you can see he really:

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Potato/Potato.htm

[iainjones9]

Thanks for the replies :)
Now that it is early May, what is the best to plant now?

[cornykev]

I don't wait for the stalks to die back on earlies, they are ready a week or so after the flowers are showing, about 90 days after planting, thats just me though.   

[Tee Gee]

Now that it is early May, what is the best to plant now?

Any!

My lot are all went in two weeks ago.

[galina]

Now that it is early May, what is the best to plant now?

Any!

My lot are all went in two weeks ago.

As TeeGee said, all of them and soon.  The problem with potatoes is that they have to go in early to get as much growth/development as possible before blight arrives.

If you can get Sarpo seed potatoes or other blight resistant potatoes, you don't have quite such a race to get them planted though   

[Digeroo]

You can always have a little firkle.  This is gently digging through the soil and seeing if there is anything worth having.  I sometimes carefully take a few early potatoes and leave the rest to fatten up a bit.

Learned about firkling on this forum, never met the word before.

[Silverleaf]

So, imagine you planted mystery potatoes and didn't know how early they were meant to be (or forgot what you planted, or something). Is there a way to tell when they are ready, or is it just a case of having a feel around?

I'm thinking that would be a useful thing to know for potato breeding, or just if you're forgetful. ;)

[goodlife]

So, imagine you planted mystery potatoes and didn't know how early they were meant to be (or forgot what you planted, or something). Is there a way to tell when they are ready, or is it just a case of having a feel around?

I'm thinking that would be a useful thing to know for potato breeding, or just if you're forgetful. ;)

Well...if you wait 2-3 weeks after potatoes have finished flowering...providing you've been generous with water during flowering time, usually there is already something worth of harvesting

[galina]

As goodlife said.  Also the time potatoes really need watering is when the plants reach their full spread, ie when (with normal spacing earlies a foot, mains a foot and a half) the leaves touch or nearly touch.  Not all potatoes flower, but for those who do, this is also the time when they will flower.  And this is when they need water to make the most tubers. 

Learned this from Chris Byrd of Sparsholt College at Hampshire potato day.  Chris gives a very entertaining lecture about potato growing every year - not to be missed if you go to Hampshire potato day   

[Tee Gee]

And this is when they need water to make the most tubers

I have noticed lots of people seem to water their potatoes I never do!

Its my contention if you prepare the soil before planting you do not need to water them!

I 'muck' my beds in November and I like to think that this holds enough moisture along with natural rainfall  for my potatoes needs.

The other thing is I also think that watering can be a factor in getting Blight, particularly if you get the leaves wet during dry weather when the blight spores are flying around, i.e. you have created a sticky surface for the spores to adhere to.

In rainy weather the spores do not fly around as much so they are less likely to stick to the wet leaves.

Then there is Potato taste!

I am not sure if too much water alters the taste, apparently in tomatoes (the same family) it does.

Then there is tuber size are these affected greatly by additional watering?

To a point I would say it could but I think size is more 'variety' related than added watering!

If you grow a naturally big variety such as Kestrel, this variety throws plenty of tubers per plant.

All I have noticed is: I still get the same number of tubers per root choose whether it is a wet or dry year although I would say that in a dry year some of the tubers are very large but I would have to admit that some of them can be quite small (duck egg size) so yes I would put that down to lack of moisture but I am generally happy with my results each year.

But conversely I also grow PFA and they produce roughly the same numbers of tubers and get to the same size choose whether it is a wet year or not!

So there is two varieties that work for my " no watering" regime.

A couple of years ago I had a drop in weight due to the dry summer i.e. I had the same number of tubers but because of their size I had only two bags full rather than my usual three.

Added to that I got blight that year so that didn't help the end result!

So there is something for you all to think about and hopefully reply to as I would like to know if I am just kidding myself about this matter. ...Tg

[Silverleaf]

So, imagine you planted mystery potatoes and didn't know how early they were meant to be (or forgot what you planted, or something). Is there a way to tell when they are ready, or is it just a case of having a feel around?

I'm thinking that would be a useful thing to know for potato breeding, or just if you're forgetful. ;)

Well...if you wait 2-3 weeks after potatoes have finished flowering...providing you've been generous with water during flowering time, usually there is already something worth of harvesting

Thanks, that helps a lot. :)

I also don't bother watering my potatoes much unless it's been really dry and the plants start to droop a bit, but I do put lots of manure on them so that helps. Maybe I should water more when they're flowering.

[galina]

TeeGee, it may be different in different parts of the country.  Hampshire shallow chalky soils (advice comes from Hampshire potato day) and here (East Midlands/East Anglia border) are areas where rainfall is routinely quite low, lower than other parts of the UK.  Despite heavy mulching, my potatoes often go dry.  And if that happens around maximum foliage growth/flowering time, it does impact on the yield.  No need to water any other time though. 

And yes, as you say, do not get the foliage wet, or water when sun/breeze will dry any dampness off fast.   

[goodlife]

TeeGee, it may be different in different parts of the country.  Hampshire shallow chalky soils (advice comes from Hampshire potato day) and here (East Midlands/East Anglia border) are areas where rainfall is routinely quite low, lower than other parts of the UK.  Despite heavy mulching, my potatoes often go dry.  And if that happens around maximum foliage growth/flowering time, it does impact on the yield.  No need to water any other time though. 

And yes, as you say, do not get the foliage wet, or water when sun/breeze will dry any dampness off fast. 

Our area often seem to fall into 'no rain gap'... We can see black rain clouds and like magic they seem to be diverted away..and then you hear 'how it has been pouring down' not that far away...! But, we don't seem to get that bad effect with blight neither! I do receive blight alerts every year too. I wonder if the info for the occurrence is 'measured' from farmlands that fall under that 'rain umbrella'..close enough for raise alarm for my postcode but still far enough for not getting the full effect.. Who knows...but I KNOW we don't get 'that much rain'..

[laurieuk]

When I first had an allotment there was no water and it was about 2 miles from home so potatoes never got watered and if we were planting anything we used a carry bottles of water. Please do remember that some varieties of potatoes have been breed not to flower so if you wait until after flowering you could lift far too late.

[cornykev]

When I first got my lottie I used to water alternate rows every day until some of the oldens told me otherwise, I rarely water earlies as they get a fair bit of rain, middles and lates get it once a week in the very hot spells. I earthed up the earlies today, a few of the plants are 8 inches high.