Topic: When to lift my spuds

[Oggyuk]

Hi all its my first time on this forum and I hope you can help
Got my allotment late last year and so this is my first crop of spuds. I put 2 lots of earlies and 2 lots of main crop in but they look just the same size, when do i lift my earlies.
Thanks
Martin

[grotbag]

normally after flowering,but you can always have a grope around em see wot they feel like

[cambourne7]

what variatys did you grow?

Normaly as grotbag says they usualy flower then the leaves look like someone has laided on them. Then there ready.

Cambourne7

[grawrc]

Some varieties don't flower so it's probably as well to have a feel and see what's there.According to Joy Larkcom:
very early earlies - 75 days
first earlies - 90 days
second earlies =110 days
early to late maincrop = 135-160 days
from planting to lifting that is.

[gruesome]

I'm down in Cornwall oggy and my earlies came out 3 weeks ago. They are now being prepared for the freezer wedgies, garlic mash and chips. Afew will be kept to eat as and when. I dont like to leave spuds in the ground too long they only get attacked by slugs n bugs.

[tim]

I've tried 3 times to get my word in.......

Yes - grope!! Newies need to be small & waxy, not big & blousy.

Most of ours have been eaten.

Mains can stay until the haulms die back.

[Oggyuk]

Hi Cambourne7
the earlies were arran pilot and pentland javelin, Main crop were maris piper and can,t remember the last one.

[cambourne7]

Hi

I would try pulling a Pentland Javelin and see what you have :)

I dont have the ability to store potatoes so i just pull a few plants as i need spuds.

Yum

cambourne7

[sarah]

i agree with Tim get them out of there.  i took my earlies up today and they are big and blousy

IThey are now being prepared for the freezer wedgies, garlic mash and chips.

. 
do you cook your spuds before freezing them gruesome? your wedgies i mean?

[OliveOil]

Gawwwd... I must get the rest of mine up then - if i can find them that is amongst the weeds... but there are only so many 3 of us can eat!