Topic: When to dig up my potatoes

[Alexihen]

For the first time ever I planted seed potatoes in their bed on 7 April this year.  How do I do know when they are ready without digging up a plant and having a look?

[littlebabybird]

hi Alexihen do you know the variety?
lbb

[tim]

Good question, lbb - if they're Earlies, they should be ready now - at least for small portions.

Lucky old you being over there!

As said elsewhere, have a 'firkle' or dig one & re-plant if not ready.

[Alexihen]

Can't remember the variety.  Have the label somewhere, but obviously somewhere safe!  I shall have a firkle - never had one before, so that should be fun!  I'll let you know.

[littlebabybird]

if not the variety do you remember if they are
1st early
2nd early
or a main crop?

[PAULW]

They have only been in a month the recomended time for first earlys is twelve weeks and that is for perfect growing conditions, mine have been in since mid feb and I dug the first root today the ground has been so cold nothing has grown.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Grub around and see whether there's anything there. I'm not planning to lift any for a few weeks yet.

[Alexihen]

It's just over two months now, and when or if it stops raining I'll put a fork gently into the ground and see what's happening. I have a feeling they were earlies but they were French so I'm not absolutely sure.

[BertyBasset]

Use your fingers and have a scrape from the side to see if it's worth lifting. I lifted a pound of Sarpo Una from a plant on Tuesday. I think they went down a week or so before yours.

Robin

[allaboutliverpool]

Have they flowered?
When they are in flower then it is time to try digging up plant.

[tim]

Oh, forget flowers - firkle!! No inkling of flowers yet.

We've finished 2x15' rows of Swift & are well into the 2 rows of Lady Christi. Planted 11 March.

Sorry for the repeat!

[Ninnyscrops.]

No flowers on my Lady C's but had a couple of meals from them (3 plants dug up in total). The Marfonas are in flower but I won't be touching them for a month or so.

Even with watering a couple of times a week the soil is so dry underneath them!

Linda

[amphibian]

I sowed on good friday, a firkle reveals my first earlies are in production. When the rain starts I'll be eating spuds with mint. Yummy.

[small]

I set my sprouted pentland javelins on March 17th and have been eating them since May 16th - I don't wait for flowers, I'd rather eat early and small because they come on so quickly once they get going. 

[susan1]

I have been eating lady chrystal for a bout a week now yummy

[N8R]

me and my mate are well in to our lady christy s no sighn of flowers yet but proper tasty !!! n8r  ;D

[cornykev]

I've been eating rocket now for three weeks with flower, the Lady Christyl's not got any flower,I'm going to dig some more up tonight.  :P        ;D ;D ;D